Himatanthus sucuuba is a tree species with known phytotherapic value which colonizes both white-water floodplains (várzea) and upland forests (terra firme) in Central Amazonian. The objective of this study was to compare germination and initial seedling development from seeds collected in both the ecosystems. There was no significant difference between dry seed mass, but in a four month period in a glasshouse in Manaus, Brazil, germination rate differed according to the substrate and origin of the seeds. In the substrate sand + sawdust (non-flooded) germination rate was high, independent of seed origin (várzea 94% and terra firme 91%). In the substrate constituted only by water (flooded), the seeds originating from várzea had a higher germination rate (96%) and seedling formation (84%) than those originating from terra firme which had a germination rate of 64% and none of the seeds formed seedlings. In this treatment, the radicles rot few days after their emission, indicating that the seeds originating from várzea present adaptive characteristics to the floodplain environment which are not present in seeds from terra firme.
anoxia; hypoxia; hydrochoric dispersal; seedlings establishment
