Ormosia arborea (Vell.) Harms and Ormosia fastigiata Tul. are similar species in many morphological characters, which impairs their identification both in field and herbarium specimens. This study describes morphological characteristics of seed and morpho-anatomy traits of seedlings and young plants of O. arborea and O. fastigiata, collected in restinga and riparian forest, respectively. Seeds and seedlings were submitted to usual anatomical techniques to make slides and analysis. Seeds of O. arborea are heavier seeds and have hypogeous cryptocotylar germination. The stem showed tector trichomes sparse and large amount of lenticels and nodules in the root. The leaf has palisade parenchyma with of shorter cells and wider at base and presence of vacuolar pigment, conspicuous intercellular spaces in the spongy parenchyma, trichomes restricted to the midrib and adaxial epidermal cells larger than abaxial face. Germination of O. fastigiata is hypogeous phanerocotylar and the seedling has many trichomes along the stem and lenticels restricted to its basal region. The leaves have many trichomes on all the veins, with palisade parenchyma of elongated cells and spongy parenchyma with intercellular spaces reduced. These characteristics are consistent to separate the seeds and seedlings of the species, which have the same popular name and contribute with useful information for the productive environment.
Seed morphology; Riparian forest and Restinga
