Maturation of fruits and seeds of sapucaia (Lecythis pisonis Cambess. - Lecythidaceae)

Abstract

Maturation studies are important for establishing the harvest time, in this view we aim to evaluate the maturation of Lecythis pisonis fruits and seeds. Fruits and seeds with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 months old was studied about morphology and morphometry, the fresh mass of seeds in fruits (%), the water content (%) and the dry mass of seeds (g), and chemical constituents of the reserves in seeds with 4 and 5 months old. In the emergence test, seedling emergence and root protrusion, mortality and seed dormancy were determined. The fruits became elliptical-ovoid on 2 months, distinguishing the median region in which the calicin is present and a constriction that marks the operculum. The arillate seeds were formed in four locules. At the beginning the seeds were hyaline and became brown until 4 months and the embryo was observed from 3rd month, but it remained undifferentiated and surrounded by endosperm, with lipid reserves. The seeds of 5 months old presented 60.3% of the water content, higher dry mass (3 g), greater emergence (67.0 ± 15.3%) and lower mortality (9%), but 9% was dormant. The morphological maturity of fruits and seeds was achieved on 4 months but physiological maturity occurs on 5 months.