ABSTRACT
In order to add knowledge regarding to Apuleia leiocarpa (Vogel) J. F. Macbr., it was analyzed its time of flowering and fruiting, fruit morphology, seed germination, seedling and changes, as well as its physical characteristics, germination and emergence of seeds of different trees. From the selection of 20 mother trees, observations were made monthly in order to ascertain the presence of flowers and fruits. After maturation, the fruits were collected, the seeds extracted from fruits, processed and separated by matrix, from which samples were taken for the determination of weight, moisture content, germination tests and emergency conditions in laboratory and nursery. Copies of fruits and seeds were stored in 70 % ethanol for the later morphological description. The greater presence of Apuleia leiocarpa flowers occurred from September to October and fruits from January to March, with a variation in the time and frequency of mother trees in both clones as well as the estimated amount of fruits and seeds in each year. Morphologically, the fruit is simple, indehiscent pod and dry, with 1-2 seeds, which are brown in color with visible linear scar, micropyle and raphe undeveloped near the hilum. Internally, the seed is albuminous, with axial embryo, spatulate, occupying three quarters of the inner region, with large and foliaceous cotyledons. The germination is epigeal and the seedling phanerocotyledonal. The fruit length ranged from 1.45 to 3.01 cm, width from 1.20 to 2.07 cm and thickness from 0.20 to 0.30 cm. For the seeds, 1.2 to 2.1 cm long, 0.6 to 0.95 cm wide and 0.1 to 0.2 cm thick. There were differences between the parent trees for the physical and physiological tests, where the number of seeds per kilogram ranged from 8,713 to 11,197, the moisture content from 12.43 to 27. 97 % germination 13 to 96 % and the emergengc from 26 to 88 %. It was concluded that seeds from individuals of the same population have significant physical and physiological variations, either because of environmental or genetic factors or due to the micro habitat. Thus, although providing better genetic representation, they reduce the homogeneity of the seed lots.
Keywords:
matrix tree; germination; Apuleia leiocarpa