Abstract
In this study aspects of the ecophysiology and morphology of the seed and seedling of Raulinoa echinata was analyzed aiming to contribute with taxonomic studies, ecology and the preservation of this species. Fruit and seeds were collected from a population located in Apiúna (SC). The seedlings obtained from germination were grown in trays filled with substratum composed of dystroferric red nitosoil and sand (1:1) and were irrigated daily. After 15 days of growth, the morphology of the seedlings was observed. The seeds presented ovoid format, axial embryo and fleshy cotyledons, and were exarillate and exalbuminous like are the seeds of other Rutaceae species. Nevertheless, the seeds presented a conspicuous micropyle, an uncommon feature for Rutaceae. The seedlings did not expose the cotyledons, keeping them in the interior of the integument and below the ground, a characteristic of cryptohypogeal germination. Some of these features are important to elucidate the relationship between the species and the riparian forest and the other taxons of the Rutaceae.
Key words:
cryptohypogeal germination; endemism; ecophysiology