The vascular flora of the cerrado in Emas district, Pirassununga municipality, São Paulo State (approximately 22º02'S and 47º30'W) was studied. Between April 1994 and April 1995 a floristic survey was carried out, when 358 species, representing 227 genera and 78 families, were found. During this survey, the phenologycal variations were observed and analysed as adaptive strategies. The woody and herbaceous components had distinct behaviours. The woody species flowered mainly at the beginning of the rainy season, while the herbaceous ones produced flowers generally at the end of that season, after a period of carbohydrate accumulation. The herbaceous species produced fruits specially at the end of the rainy season whatever its dispersion syndrome was. The woody ones showed different patterns depending on its dispersion syndrome. The zoochorous species fruited along the whole rainy season, while the anemochorous and autochorous ones produced fruits principally at the beginning of the dry season.
cerrado; savanna; southeastern Brazil; phenology