Eugenia L. is the most species-rich genus of Myrtaceae, one of the most important wood plant families in the Atlantic Rainforest. Eugenia uniflora L. is abundant in the restinga and widely cultivated for economical purposes. This study investigated the wood anatomy of E. uniflora grown in two different plant communities of the Atlantic Rainforest complex in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Sixteen anatomical parameters were analyzed; indicating that in the trees from the Restinga, the fibers are shorter, vessel-elements are more frequent, shorter and larger, and rays are lower and wider than those found in the Dense Ombrophylous Forest. Results showed how environmental conditions influence the anatomical wood structure and reveal intraspecific variations of this species and its mechanisms of adaptation and survival in the Atlantic Rainforest complex.
Myrtaceae; ecology anatomy; Atlantic rainforest