PERMEABILITY TO WATER AND VIABILITY IN HETEROMORPHIC COLOR SEEDS OF Bowdichia Virgilioides KUNTH

Raquel Gonçalves Silva,Denise Garcia De Santana,Edvaldo Aparecido Amaral Da Silva,Cristiane Carvalho Guimarães

doi:10.1590/1806-908820210000025

Raquel Gonçalves Silva, Denise Garcia De Santana + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-908820210000025

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Species that produce seeds with a rigid integument represent a serious problem because their impermeable coat restricts the entry of water, which makes germination difficult. The heteromorphism of the integument in Bowdichia virgilioides causes water imbibition to vary substantially and, therefore, the objective of this work was to study the relation of seed coat color with permeability and viability in Bowdichia virgilioides. Seeds were separated into five different colors (yellowish-orange, orange, orange/reddish, reddish, and rusty red) and the following parameters were analyzed: water absorption, germination, mortality, viability, synchrony, and maximum potential of germination. The color was a determining factor for most of the evaluated parameters. The seeds with yellowish or orange/reddish coats tend to be little permeable to water while seeds with reddish or rusty red coats are highly permeable. The results indicated that seeds with reddish color had greater physiological potential indicating a probable relationship with the maturation point of the species. However, in the seeds of the species studied, irrespective of coloring, germination was late with low synchrony and low daily seed germination count, typical characteristics of dormancy.

Highlights

The species Bowdichia virgilioides can be found in most Brazilian states, within the biomes of the Atlantic Rainforest, Cerrado, Caatinga and Pantanal (Rizzini and Mors, 1995; Silva Júnior and Santos, 2005; Cruz et al, 2012)
The seeds with yellowish or orange/reddish coats tend to be little permeable to water while seeds with reddish or rusty red coats are highly permeable
The results indicated that seeds with reddish color had greater physiological potential indicating a probable relationship with the maturation point of the species

Summary

Introduction

The species Bowdichia virgilioides can be found in most Brazilian states, within the biomes of the Atlantic Rainforest, Cerrado, Caatinga and Pantanal (Rizzini and Mors, 1995; Silva Júnior and Santos, 2005; Cruz et al, 2012). B. virgilioides seeds show heteromorphism marked by variations in seed coat color, ranging from greenish to rusty red with yellow and orange in between (Ribeiro-Oliveira et al, 2013; Dalanhol et al, 2014), and variations in shape and size (Rosa-Magri and Meneghin, 2014). These different colors of tegument can be found within the same fruit, and this is believed to be associated with seed maturation, which may influence its physiological potential (Dalanhol et al, 2014) and imbibition pattern

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