Socoró (Mouriri guianensis Aubl.): germinação, desenvolvimento da plântula e classificação das sementes para fins de armazenamento

Abstract

Mouriri guianensis is a fruit tree of the family Melastomataceae, which is founded naturally on the bakes of rivers and lakes. Its fruits with a sweet taste, are consumed in natura by human, and above all, by the aquatic fauna. Despite the potential use of this species, information about it is scarce. Thus, it was sought to elucidate some information related to fruit, seeds, germinate and beginning stages of seedling development. This work has been divided into two chapters. The first, intituled Fruit and seed characterization, emergence and development of the seedling of Mouriri guianensis, that presents the results of the characterization of fruits and seeds, of the emergency in function of matrixes and description and identification of the structures in the seedling development. It was found that the fruit is of the bacoideus type, indehiscent, of medium side and round shape. It presents from 1 or 2 seed per fruit. The seeds are brown, small and opaque, with a firm consistency, smooth and polished forehead. The seeds of the different matrixes exhibit significant differences in terms of emergency, with an average emergency time of 80 to 88 days. The germintion is of the bypogeal, cryptocotylar and unipolar type, starting on the 24th day upon sowing with the protrusion of the primary root, followed by the elongation of the epicotyl, appearance of the secondary roots, cataphylls and eophylls, with the seedling showing the second pair of eophylls expanded at 52 days after sowing. The second chapter, titled Classification of the socoró seeds (Mouriri guianensis Aubl.) as regards tolerance to desiccation and storage, aimed at classifying the seeds of Mouriri guianensis as regards tolerance to desiccation, aiming to indicate the most appropriate conditions for maintaining their viability. The Hong and Ellis protocol was adopted for this purpose, with adaptations. Seeds with different degrees of humidity (36.9; 22.3; 10,7; 5.3%), just as a degree of humidity of 5.3%, which after being stored for three months at -18 ºC, were submitted to the emergency test. The socoró seeds have an orthodox behavior, since they can withstand the desiccation until the degree of humidity of 5.3%; the storage, with this water content, for a period of three months, under the temperature of -18 ºC, maintain ed seed viability.

Keywords: Melastomataceae, biometry, seedlings, desiccation, viability.