Physiological responses like the thermal requirements for germination may be influenced during seed formation by environmental conditions such as water availability and temperature. Here we analyzed germination of embryos of Ingavera subsp. affinis from different sources in response to various temperature regimes, including calculation of degree days and accumulated rainfall during development and maturation. Embryos were taken from ripe fruits collected on trees located in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and were analyzed as to germination, water content and dry matter content. The results showed that the origin of the embryos was related to variation in response under sub-optimal temperatures. Depending on the origin, I.vera subsp. affinis embryos were able to germinate even at low temperatures (10 to 15 ºC), with better performance attained from 20 to 25 ºC. This variation may be associated, among other factors, to environmental conditions during maturation and to the maturation stage at seed dispersal.
degree-day; forest seeds; Leguminosae
