Lecythidaceae comprise one of the four most common tree families in the Amazon forest, but there have been few studies of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in this taxon. In this study roots of 31 species in six genera of Lecythidaceae were collected in a primary forest on an acid oxisol. No vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae, as indicated by the presence of vesicles or arbuscules were detected. Only some hyfas were found on some species roots, but not enough for increasing the nutrient absorption from the soil. This indicated that under the edaphic condiction and the time which the samples were collected, these species worked as no mycor-rhizal plants. These informations confirm datas found for other researches, and may be important for exploring more efficiently and by a not predatory way, the species of Lecythidaceae on agroforestry systems in the Amazon.
Amazonia; oxisol