Ciclo de vida, estrutura foliar e variações morfoanatômicas influenciadas por diferenças ambientais para Victoria amazonica (POEPP.) J.C. Sowerby (Nymphaeaceae) na Amazônia Central

Abstract

The Amazon floodplains are specific ecosystems with high biodiversity and endemism, divided in varzeas, white fertile waters, and Igapos with poor and acid waters, black or clear, and mixed waters between the two typologies. This study aimed to characterize morphologically and anatomically leaf structure, germination and life cycle of Victoria amazonica (Poepp.) JC Sowerby, one of the few hydrophytes occurring in varzea and mixed waters in the region. Were registered the characteristics of leaf blades and petioles, rhizomes, flowers, fruits and seeds from the beginning of development until mature phase. Additionally was evaluated the influence of environmental characteristics on the chemistry and growth of the species. Germination was monitored in seeds with and without scarification, in control and treatments with water low oxygen and in the dark. The life cycle was monitored in field and laboratory; material from seedlings, juvenile and adult plants was collected at six sampling sites near Manaus, and fixed in FAA 50. The illustrations were made by using digital photographic camera; photomicrography s and designs to stereoscopy microscope with clear camera. In the first eophyll there is a layer similar to the palisade parenchyma from the third to fifth eophyll the palisade parenchyma is compact and biestratificate metaphyll unistratified is loose. The aerenchyma is present in the mesophyll in all stages of development of leaf and from the third eophyll there is the presence of sclereids forming the support foil these places with so many gaps in the air. Germination is favored in the dark, in hypoxic conditions, in water and seed coat shaved. The seedling cotyledon has a very small, surrounded by the integument and in contact with the perisperm starchy, and other acicular, the first is eophyll deltoid-hastade. The primary root is aborted, occurring formation of adventitious roots from the tenth day of seedling development. Seedlings with twelve days already show the early development of the second eophylls. The stem, initially reduced in very young stage of the plant, gradually develops in the later stages, forming the rhizome of the mature plant. In the plant with twenty days of age there is the formation of two new eophylls and metaphyll. Metafile is a fully expanded leaf of approximately 2m in diameter, orbicular peltate, with the board up to 12 cm in height and petiole of up to 8m in length, depending on the water column. The sepal subepidermal collenchyma has two sides, edges of palisade parenchyma, aerenchyma with large air gaps interspersed with sclereids. The petals and sepals are epiestomatic. The fruit is unistratified exocarp, mesocarp divided into three distinct regions, parenchymatous outer, middle aerenchymatous and inner sclerenchymatous, and endocarp sclerenchymatous and multiestrat. The ovule is anatropous, and bitegmic crassinucellar. The seed has test lignified, tegmen unistratified parenchyma. The endosperm is scarce and the perisperm is abundant starch. The mixed water environment was not very different from the várzea which is reflected in a similar chemical composition of the plants of both systems. However, being attached to the ground, the rhizomes of the varzea environment have caloric value three times higher than that of mixed water. This and the presence of larger leaves suggest the varzea floodplain to be more favorable environment for growth of Victoria amazonica.