Morfologia da plântula em desenvolvimento de Astrocaryum aculeatum Meyer (Arecaceae)

Abstract

Astrocaryum aculeatum (tucumã) is an Amazonian palm tree, whose fruit pulp is rich in vitamin A and can be consumed fresh or in ice creams, juices, liqueurs and sweets. Its propagation is slow and little knowledge exists about the seed germination and seedling development. This study describes and characterizes the morphological stages of seedling development, during the germination of seeds, pre-treatmented or not with soaking in water. The germination of seeds is of the adjacent ligular, cryptocotylar and hypogeal type. The time to each stage was shorter for the soaked seeds, indicating a beneficial effect on the speed of the germination process, with mean time of emergence of the cotyledonal petiole being 99 days and complete expansion of the first leaf bifid by 253 days.