The genus Chrysophyllum has about 70 species and species of the same genus can be differentiated morphologically. The objective of this study was to compare the morphology of the propagules of C. amazonicum and C. prieurii. The fruits were collected from arrays at the Pedro de Moura oil extraction unit, Coari, Amazonas state. A sub-sample with 50 fruits and seeds was randomly selected for the morphological analysis. A sample of 4x25 seeds was sown in washed sand and vermiculite (2:1) to evaluate seedling development. The fruits of C. amazonicum are dry whereas those of C. prieurii are pulpous. The seed cotyledons have different shapes and colors: obovate and greenish in C. amazonicum and oblong and yellowish in C. prieurii. The germination is epigeal and the difference is in the format of the cotyledonal limbo: elliptical obovate in C. amazonicum and elliptical oblong in C. prieurii. The seedlings of both species are phanerocotyledonate with foliaceous cotyledons, that are visually similar. However, they may be distinguished by the color of the main root, the format in cross section of the epicotyle, and the format of the limbo of the eophyll: lanceolate elliptical (C. amazonicum) and lanceolate narrow elliptical (C. prieurii).
fruits; seeds; Sapotaceae; forest species
