Abstract
Persea willdenovii is a woody plant recorded growing in some Brazilian States, from Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul, mainly in higher altitudes. P. willdenovii in Rio Grande do Sul is in danger of extinction, as the local people use this plant for phytotherapic purposes. To identify important aspects of P. willdenovii propagation, tests where conducted with seeds and vegetative structures. The germination of seed took a minimum of 34 days, associated with a decline of the temperature. P. willdenovii showed limitations to the vegetative propagation: morphogenic potential restricted to the juvenile tissues, presence of endogenous contamination, and high level of phenolic oxidation. Vegetative propagation was only possible with the use of juvenile tissues of plantlets germinated in vitro. By means of this sequence of tests it was possible to record responses to current propagation techniques, to identify problems to be solved in order to regenerate new plants, and to obtain 300 new plants from only two specimens.
Key words:
Persea pyrifolia; genetic resource; seed; substrate; morphogenesis