The present study aimed to describe and illustrate the morphology aspects of seeds and seedlings of Amburana cearensis linking the development of tissues to the stages of germination in order to verify the changes that occurred during this process. The tests were carried out at the Laboratory for Environmental Studies from the Catholic University of Salvador (LEMA / UCSal). The experimental design was a completely randomized with 4 replications of 25 seeds per treatment. The imbibition curve was based on seed fresh weight during imbibition at intervals varying between 0 and 318 hours. Naked eye and stereomicroscope observations were performed for the morphological analysis of seeds and seedlings and confection of botanical illustrations. The anatomical sections of seeds during the stages of germination were performed with a rotary microtome. A. cearensis seeds were classified as sternospermatics with an axial embryo and epígeal phanerocotylar germination. Seeds are bitegmic, exotestic and the cotyledons are the main reserve tissue. Seed coat is composed of a fairly rigid stratum of macrosclereides and strata of osteosclereides and phenolic compounds that confer a certain degree of seed dormancy due to tegument impermeability, hindering the absorption of water.
Amburana cearensis; germination; morphology; anatomy
