Virola surinamensis (Rol. ex Rottb.) Warb. (Myristicaceae): morphological aspects of fruit, seed and seedling

Abstract

Virola surinamensis (Roll. ex Rottb.) Warb.. It is well-known popularly as ucuúba, it is a tree of 40 m of height, usually found in places with swampy flooded, generally close to igapós. This study objectified describes the morphology of the fruit, seed, and kind of germination and of seedling. For the description, they were retired, random sub-samples contend 30 fruits and 30 seeds. Of the fruits were descript the general morphology, coloration, texture, consistency, dehiscence and surface of pericarp. Of the seeds were analyzed the tegument, endosperm and the embryo and described the main vegetative elements of the germination process and seedlings. Considered germination, the period between seed imbibed until before the first eophyll was totally formed; and seedlings the development phase in which eophyll were totally formed. All the description was based in specialized literature. The fruit of the studied species is a follicle, subglobose, epicarp opaque, chartaceous, yellow when mature, glabrous, with pilose peduncle. Seed globose too; with free basal insert; lacinate aril, red, involving all the seed; test in brown-dark tones, dehydrate the consistency is chartaceous and membranaceous when hydrated; raphe lineate and homochromous; hilum orbicular and imperceptible lens; micro embryo, cotyledons shapeless and endosperm ruminated. Cryptocotylar epigeous germination. Seedlings with simple eophyll, alternate, elliptic, apex acute, whole margin and ciliate, attenuated base, brochidodromous enervation and valvate prevernal.