PYRENE MORPHOLOGY OF THREE SPECIES OF Byrsonima Rich. ex Kunth (Malpighiaceae)1

Cylles Zara dos Reis Barbosa,Maria Silvia de Mendonça,Rodrigo Schütz Rodrigues

doi:10.1590/0100-67622015000500006

Cylles Zara dos Reis Barbosa, Maria Silvia de Mendonça + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-67622015000500006

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The species of the genus Byrsonima Rich. ex Kunth are of great medicinal and economic importance, but they are still poorly studied with respect to their propagules. This study describes, illustrates and comparse morphological aspects of the pyrenes of Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth, Byrsonima verbascifolia (L.) DC. and Byrsonima coccolobifolia Kunth occurring in areas of savannah of Boa Vista, Roraima. The pyrenes are globoid, obovoid to ovoid, with endocarp dark brown in color, with a corrugated and reticulate surface and corneous consistency. They possess distinctly septate locules with or without seeds, the outer wall of which are dark brown in color with corneous consistency and thin black inner walls also with corneous consistency. The number of locules and seeds per pyrene among the species varies. The seeds are exalbuminous, globoid, obovoid to ovoid, with a thin, smooth integument and are light-brown in color. They have radicular lobes and hypostasis. The embryo is continuous and axial with cylindrical spirally rolled cotyledons. The diameter of pyrenes of Byrsonima crassifolia is greater than in the other two species. The pyrenes of B. coccolobifolia are longer and heavier, while those of B. verbascifolia are lighter and the seeds have greater lengths, widths and thickness compared to the other two species studied. The three species have similar morphologies, differing in the size and weight of pyrenes and seeds.

Highlights

The species of the genus Byrsonima Rich. ex Kunth are of great medicinal and economic importance, but they are still poorly studied with respect to their propagules
In this study we describe, illustrate and compare morphological aspects of the pyrenes of B. crassifolia, B. verbascifolia and B. coccolobifolia from savanna areas of Boa Vista, Roraima
The pyrenes of B. coccolobifolia, B. crassifolia and B. verbascifolia vary from globoid, obovoid to ovoid and have dark, brown-colored, opaque endocarp, with a rough and reticulate surface, harsh texture and corneous consistency, with a truncated and invaginated base and an acute apex (Figure 1A-B; Figure 1E-F; Figure 1I-J)

Summary

Introduction

The species of the genus Byrsonima Rich. ex Kunth are of great medicinal and economic importance, but they are still poorly studied with respect to their propagules. Some species have great potential as ornamental and forage plants, serving for restoration of degraded areas (VALLILO, 2007) Despite their recognized potential in economy and medicine, few Byrsonima species have been studied with respect to the structure of their propagules (SOUTO; OLIVEIRA, 2005). The propagule of these species is a pyrene (BARROSO et al, 1999), popularly called core, which consists of the endocarp and the seeds (CARVALHO et al, 2006)

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