Abstract
Pollen fertility is indicated by viability, which influences the reproductive success of plants. Mandacaru is a native tree species with natural distribution in the Caatinga. The objective was to verify the pollen viability, pollen per ovule ratio and the morphological identification of the mandacaru flower (Cereus jamacaru). Ten flower buds were used and one hundred anthers of these buds, which and stained with Alexander dye on checkered glass slide and viable and non-viable pollens were accounted amount of ovule per flower bud was counted the pollen/ovule ratio. Mandacaru presented viability of 99.41% the pollen, with an average of 314,686 pollens on each flower. There were 356 pollens for each ovule, this indicates the species reproductive system for facultative autogamous and facultative xenogamics. The flower is hermaphrodite, with gynoecium measuring an average of 160.9 mm, an average of 883 ovules per flower, the androecium averaging 577 anthers per flower, 545 pollen per anther. Mandacaru has high pollen viability, with large size hermaphrodite flower, with high number of anthers and pollen contained in these anthers.
Highlights
The Cactaceae family has species with the capacity to develop in different ecosystems, but the largest representation occurs in semi-arid and arid climate
The vegetal resources of this area are constituted by deciduous species; being chosen for presenting characteristics of forest formations of Caatinga in different levels of ecological succession, as well as in all previously recorded the natural occurrence of Cactaceae with a population of mandacaru (C. jamacaru) (De Araújo Costa et al, 2020)
The analysis of pollen and ovules grain count, pollen viability and morphological identification of the flower were made at the Campus III Biology laboratory of the Federal University of Paraíba, Bananeiras, Paraíba, Brazil
Summary
The Cactaceae family has species with the capacity to develop in different ecosystems, but the largest representation occurs in semi-arid and arid climate. Cactaceae are the second family of angiosperm with endemic species from warm and dry climate regions (Taylor & Zappi, 2004). The largest distribution centers of Cactaceae are the United States, Mexico, Southeast and Northeast of Brazil. Mandacaru (C. jamacaru) is classified in the family Cactaceae, subfamily Cactusidae, Cereae tribe; has a natural distribution in the Brazilian semiarid, with great ecological, economic and social importance for Caatinga and human populations (Lucena et al, 2015a). Studies on pollen viability are important because provide basic information for practical application in conservation plans, taxonomic, palynological, ecological and population and ecosystem management studies, highlighting the male potential of plant reproduction.
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