The effect of light and temperature on the germination of Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers was studied by isothermic incubations. The seeds of this species do not present photoblastism, and can germinate equally in the presence and absence of light. The minimum temperature for germination is between 10 and 15 °C and the maximum between 35 and 40 °C. The germination rate was higher at 35 °C, despite the fact that no statistically significant differences in the germinability were observed at 25, 30 and 35 °C. At 25 °C, germination initiates at the 7th day, while the development of the first pair of leaves occurs after 22 days of experiment. The seeds viability is better maintained when these are stored in glass containers at low temperatures. Germination in a wide range of temperature, and the absence of photoblastism allow the species to germinate in open areas and under the canopy, favoring its distribution in the different physiognomies of the Cerrado biome.
Cerrado; germination; Pyrostegia; seed storage; seed viability
