Biometric analysis of cajazeira fruits (Spondias mombin L.) in the northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The cajazeira (Spondias mombin L.) is a fruit tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. Yellow mombins are very common in the caatinga ecoregion of northeastern of Brazil. This study assessed the biometry of cajazeira fruits. The fruits were collected in 2019 within an area of ​​ native vegetation in the campus of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-arid Region (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN. They were then taken to the Plant Science Laboratory to measure the following characteristics: length, width, length/width ratio, fruits thickness, and weight. The variables length, width, length/width ratio, thickness, and weight of the seeds had a low range of variation and low values ​​for relative variation, and therefore high coefficients of Pearson of correlation. The data of length, width, and thickness showed a moderate degree of symmetry and a symmetrical and mesocurtic distribution, while length/width ratio and fruits weight had almost symmetrical and mesocurtic distributions. The variables length and width and width and thickness showed significant positive linear correlations. The biometric data of cajafruits fitted in to the approximate normal distribution of probability.