Dorstenia cayapia Vellozo, Moraceae (carapiá) is a Brazilian native medicinal herb that is classified as "vulnerable" because of the drastic reduction of its habitat and its declining population. This study was carried out in a greenhouse at the Center for Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The objective of the study was to obtain informations about cultivation and exploration of carapiá to obtain plant material for phytotherapy and chemical industry products. Plant material was collected in Raul Soares, Minas Gerais State, in a fragment of the Atlantic Coastal Forest. Three substrates were evaluated in the rhizome cutting experiment: Commercial substrate, S1 (40% soil + 40% cattle manure + 20% humus); S2 (20% soil + 20% cattle manure + 40% humus + 20% vermiculite); three sections of the rhizome: apical, basal and intermediate and two types of trays: 128 and 200 cells. Medium sized cuttings (2 cm) were prepared and planting was done according to positive geotropism. The experiment was carried out from April to June 2007 and the experimental design was completely randomized as a 3x3x2 factorial. Dry mass was determined for the above ground (leaves and inflorescences) and for the under ground (roots and rhizomes) parts of the plant. The rhizome tip sprouting was greater than those of the median and basal sections. Rhizome sprouting was better in the 128-cells tray than in the 200-cell tray. Collecting cuttings from the top of the rhizomes could be recommended for planting because it avoids removing the entire plant, thus preserving the plants in their environment and providing for the possibility of asexual propagation.
Dorstenia cayapia Vellozo,sprouting; substrates; conservation; asexual propagation
