Bactris maraja (marajá) is a common palm tree at the margins of Amazonian lakes and streams, whose edible fruits are eaten by man and wildlife. Morphological and anatomical studies of reproductive structures can provide information that will subsidize taxonomic, physiological and ecological studies. The aim of this study was to determine the biometric and morphoanatomical features of the pyreneas well as histochemical characteristics of the seed. Mature fruits were collected and we measured size, fresh mass, water content and described shape, color and texture. The anatomical study was performed by resinembedding. Histochemical tests for detection of principal metabolites were applied. The pyrenes and isolated seeds showed small biometric variationexcept for fresh weight. The pyrene is obovate to elliptical, with a thick, hard, sclerified endocarp, formed by cells with thick walls. The seed is compressed obovate to elliptic, with a thin chartaceous seed coat, light brown, adhered to the endocarp composed of thickened parenchyma cells and tanniferous cells; bulky endosperm, solid, homogeneous, white, formed by oblong, elliptical and transversely oval cells, that are rounded longitudinally, with protein and lipid reserves; embryo lateral, conical, small, milky-white, with protein and lipid content, undifferentiated root pole and shoot pole with three leaf primordia.
seed; biometry; morphoanatomy; palm; Bactris
