The aim of this study was to verify the influence of temperature and light, interacting or separately, as well as to establish the most suitable temperature to conduct the germination test of Aristolochia esperanzae O. Kuntze ("cipó mil-homens") seeds. Three assays were performed. In the first one, temperatures were 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40ºC. In the second assay, seed germination was evaluated at 25, 30 and 35ºC, in the presence and absence of light. In the third assay, four light conditions were tested separately: (a) white light; (b) red light; (c) far-red light; and (d) no light, at 25ºC. In all assays, the percentages of germinated seeds, normal seedlings and non-germinated seeds, besides the mean times of germinated seeds and normal seedlings, were evaluated during 30 days. At 15ºC and 40ºC, there was no A. esperanzae seed germination. The best result for germinated seeds and normal seedlings (96%) was obtained at 30ºC. The presence of light and the temperatures 25ºC and 30ºC favored seed germination and normal seedling formation. Aristolochia esperanzae seeds had their germination inhibited in the absence of light, which characterizes them as positive photoblastic.
Aristolochiaceae; viability; germination; medicinal plants
