Biometria de frutos e sementes e correlação entre variáveis em populações naturais de Hancornia speciosa

Abstract

The objective of this study was to perform the biometrics of fruits and seeds in natural populations of H. speciosa and to verify the relation of these biometric variables with edaphic variables and with phytosociology data. The study was conducted in fragments of areas of Cerrado stricto sensu containing natural populations of H. speciosa, where 10 square plots of 10 m x 10 m (100 m²) were allocated in each area, with one H. speciosa, and a soil sample was performed in each plot. In these plots, a phytosociological survey was performed and in each central genotype of H. speciosa, 20 fruits were sampled in physiological maturation stage and measures of fruit and seed variables. Descriptive analysis, correlation study and multivariate analysis were performed. It was found that the areas of occurrence of populations of H. speciosa differ mainly in relation to soil characteristics. However, the fruits of H. speciosa of the Providence population are larger, have higher pulp yields and are sweeter than those of the Canaan population. In each population, there was a specific pattern of correlation between the variables, without significant and high magnitude correlations between the fruit size, the pulp mass and the total soluble solids with the soil and phytosociology variables. The community of plants that occupy the same habitat as the Canaan and Providence populations is not exerting much influence on the variables fruits and seeds of H. speciosa.