ABSTRACT
The gender Cordiera (Rubiaceae) has about 25 species and a wide distribution in Brazil. Its representatives are dioecious trees or shrubs, with functionally unisexual flowers. The study was carried out in two fragments of seasonal semideciduous forest, in the municipality of Tangará da Serra - MT. The reproductive phenology, sex ratio, morphology, and floral biology, as well as the reproductive system and success were investigated. Cordiera macrophylla bloomed in the dry season, from July to September, with synchronous peaks between pistillate and staminate flowers. Staminate bloom early and for a longer period than the pistillate flowers. The longevity of anthesis of female flowers was greater. The sex ratio was 1: 1. Staminate flowers are arranged in bell-shaped inflorescences and single-flowered pistillates, and are morphologically similar. The fruits are warty, polyspermic berries. The fruit formation rate by natural pollination was 95%, demonstrating the dependence on pollinators to maintain the species. The reproductive success was also high, confirming that the association between morphology and floral biology favored the species in the studied areas.
Key words:
Biology and floral morphology; dioecy; floral display; flowering phenology; reproductive system
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