Abstract
This study aimed to verify the influence of ambient conditions on the structure of secondary xylem of Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (“pequizeiro”) through a comparative anatomical study of two populations belonging to “cerradão” and “cerrado s. s.” (Brazilian savannas), in the city of Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, São Paulo. The wood was described qualitatively, and quantitative data were analyzed using analysis of variance, as well as multivariate and principal components analysis. The analysis of variance showed significant differences for eight out of sixteen anatomical parameters, as well as great variation between trees of the same locality, an aspect corroborated by multivariate analysis. The correlation matrix showed generally inverse correlations between longitudinal and radial measurements of the anatomical characters. Based on the significant variability found between trees we can infer that the differentiation of the formations occurs gradually, since a marked set of anatomical characters that would individualize each type of vegetation was not observed.
Key words:
ecological anatomy; “pequi”; ecological trends; secondary xylem