The cultivation of native essences with economical or conservacionist purpose needs a serie of cares that need some previous knowledgment of the physiological and ecologic characteristics of the diverses phases of the life cycle. The study of the growth and development of a plant under different environmental conditions offers to the researcher a good clue on which the best conditions to grow a particular species. It was aimed at to evaluate the initial growth and the concentration of chlorophylls in young plants of Cryptocaria aschersoniana Mez. (Canela-Batalha) submitted to levels of reduction of solar radiation: 0% (full sunlight), or 30, or 50 or 70%. The results demonstrate that the concentration of total chlorophyll was larger in the plants grown under 70% of shading, the same happened with the ratio of chlorophyll a/b. The greatest plant height was observed in the plants grown in 50% of shading. From the standpoint of total biomass accumulated and root dry matter, the best performance was observed in the plants under 30% of shading and the higher leaves dry matter accumulation was verified in the plants grown under 30 and 50% shading. It is ended that the best ones growing conditions for seedlings of Cryptocaria aschersoniana Mez. (Canela-Batalha) were the levels of 30 and 50% of reduction of the incident solar radiation.
Cryptocaria aschersoniana Mez; early growth; shading; forest young plants; radiation