The aim of this study was to evaluate the germinative behavior of Bacccharis retusa and Tibouchina multiflora, species that occur in the "canga" vegetation of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero of Minas Gerais. Diaspores collected in the county Barão de Cocais were placed to germinate under the temperatures of 15, 20, 25 and 30 ºC at continuous light or in darkness condition. The diaspores initially remained under darkness were later transferred to light presence maintaining the same temperatures. Diaspores of both species presented a positive photoblastic behavior, with inexpressive germination under darkness in all tested temperatures. In presence of continuous light, seeds of T. multiflora showed no difference in the percentage of germination in all temperatures, while B. retusa showed lower germination at 30 ºC. Diaspores initially maintained under darkness germinated rapidly after transferred to continuous light. However, no indication of significant effect of the dark period was observed in values of the final germination percentage in each temperature tested. These results suggest that these two "canga" species may have potential to constitute the soil seed bank.
seed bank; rupestrian field; photoblastism; light; temperature
