High tax of mortality of mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa) seedlings in greenhouse conditions hinders its use on the reversion of the degradation of the natural vegetation, as well as on the preservation of the production and environmental integrity. The objective of this work was to select better mother plants and clones from sexual and assexual propagation, with potential to survive in vitro, for producing mangaba seedlings. Fruits were collected from 11 mother plants and from each plant, 24 seeds without aparent diseases were selected. After superficial desinfection, seeds were inoculated in MS medium without growth regulators and having a germination of 92.4% without significant difference between mother plants. On multiplication phase, with MS medium, with growth regulators BAP (6-benzilaminopurine) and IBA (indol-3-butiric acid), both at concentration of 1.28 mg L-1; the better mother plant was C1 and better clone was C1 15. During all phases of this work there was a high variability, mainly among clones. The selection must be made mainly among clones in mother plants.
Hancornia speciosa; micropropagation; germination in vitro; tropical fruticulture
