ABSTRACT
Adelia membranifolia (Müll. Arg.) Pax & K. Hoffm. is a small tree, dioecious, with distribution restricted to South America, being the only species of the genus Adelia L. (Euphorbiaceae) occurring in Brazil and is abundant in riparian forest of the Prata River, southwest region of Mato Grosso do Sul state. This study describes the morphological characteristics of fruits, seeds, seedlings and saplings of Adelia membranifolia and analyzes the pattern of venation cotyledons and eophylls to contribute to the biological knowledge of the species and assist in the identification of juvenile stages in the natural environment. The fruit is schizocarpic, dry, with three locules, yellowish, measured on average 6.71 mm (± 0.51) long, 10.11 mm (± 0.78) wide and weigh 0.42 g (± 0.12). The primary dispersion is autochoric and seeds are rounded, gray colored with a rudimentary caruncule, measuring on average 3.90 mm (± 0.20) long and 3.76 mm (± 0.23) wide. The germination rate is about 80 % in the germination chamber and 90 % in the greenhouse. The germination is epigeal type phanerocotylar and seedling development is between 5 to 15 days. The cotyledons and eophylls show venation pinnate with a type camptodromous brochidodromous.
Keywords:
fruits; seeds; venation leaf; seedlings