Abstract
Kielmeyera coriacea Mart., known as "pau-santo", is mentioned in the literature as the main tree species which produces cork of the Brazilian Cerrado. The purpose of this study was to describe the morphological aspect of Kielmeyera coriacea ("pau-santo") cork cells through its microscopic structure and to compare it with the cellular morphology of Quercus suber (cork oak), which is the main cork producing species worldwide. The bark from three trees of the species Kielmeyera coriacea Mart. was collected randomly at points 1.30 m above the ground, with four repetitions per sample. Samples came from native stands situated in the region of Luminárias - MG, Brazil. The study of morphological characteristics was conducted by counting the number of sides of the cells, and measuring the dimensions of the cells from images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Images were analyzed using the LEOUIF software. The distribution in faces and edges of cork cells from Kielmeyera coriacea, was observed to have from 4 to 8 sides, with a predominance of hexagonal cells, similar to Quercus suber. The averages of height and thickness of the cell walls were 40 to 70 µm and 1.5 to 2.0 µm respectively, indicating cells from an early growth season. Both height and thickness were observed to be greater than those present in Quercus suber.
Highlights
The Cerrado is the regional name given to the Brazilian ecosystem similar to the savanna, and it is characterized by different regions defined by water availability, soil conditions and fire regimes
This study aims to describe the morphological aspect of cork cells of Kielmeyera coriacea through its microscopic structure and compare this to the cellular morphology of Quercus suber
The first cork layer produced by the original phellogen is named ‘virgin cork’ and, for Quercus suber is considered to be of poor quality
Summary
The Cerrado is the regional name given to the Brazilian ecosystem similar to the savanna, and it is characterized by different regions defined by water availability, soil conditions and fire regimes. Several species present in the Cerrado are sources of Non-Wood Forest Products and are part of an important market in Brazil. More than 20 species adapted to the ecological conditions present in the Cerrado could be promising for the production of cork tissue (suber); due to the lack of knowledge of the cork from these species, Brazil continues to be dependent on the import of this important raw material for processing and marketing. Among the various species that comprise the natural vegetation in Brazil, Kielmeyera coriacea, known as “pausanto”, belongs to the family Guttiferae and is mentioned in the literature as the main cork producing tree species from the Cerrado (DIONELLO; BASTA, 1980). Is an endemic genus from South America, comprised of approximately 47 species, of which 45 are native from Brazil (RIZZINI; HERING, 1962).
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