Silva 2015 (Conference Paper) Brazil

Fruit and seed morphometry of four Bromeliaceae species, São Mateus ? ES, Brazil

Author(s):—Walace Silva & Elisa Aoyama in Benko-Iseppon, A.M.; Alves, M. & Louzada, R. (2015) An overview and abstracts of the First World Congress on Bromeliaceae Evolution. Rodriguésia 66(2): A1-A66.

Publication:— (2015).

Abstract:—Morphometric studies contribute to species taxonomy, germination test interpretation, understanding ofphenotypical variation among population in terms of seed viability and subsidizing studies about natural regeneration and management of conservation projects. This paper aimed to describe fruits and seeds of four Bromeliace species. The collections were performed from January to October, 2014 in the sandbanks of São Mateus city ? ES, Brazil in one fragment located in Liberdade neighborhood and another in Guriri neighborhood. The studied species were: Pseudananas sagenarius (Arruda) Camargo, Bromelia antiacantha Bertol., Vriesea neoglutinosa Mez. and Tillandsia gardneri Lindl. A hundred fruits and seeds were measured per species in five different individuals from relatively far groups. The biometrical parameters used in this experiment were length and width, and the obtained values were submitted to ANOVA and the Tukey test at the level of 5% probability. Fruits were distinctly different among the species for both parameters. B. antiacantha and V. neoglutionosa also showed differences among individuals, different from P. sargenariusand T. gardneri, which showed more uniformity. Seeds of V. neoglutinosa and T. gardneri were different from the other species in terms of length. On the order hand, they had a uniform width. B. antiacantha and P. sargenarius did not present much difference in this parameter but they showed themselves different from the others in terms of width. B. antiacantha was the only one that was significantly different for both parameters of its structure. P. sargenarius develop fruits with a fibrous and hard epicarp, sorosi type and yellow-pinked color when mature, measuring 100.5 × 65.7mm. The seeds are amorphous and flat 5.72 × 3.05mm). B. antiacantha has berry-type fruits which turn yellow when they are mature and also have a slightly sweet smell, measuring 49.21 × 23.06mm, seeds are discoid, flat, yellow-brown in color and measure 4.70 × 4.65mm. V. neoglutinosa and T. gardneri have dry capsule-type fruits and seeds with feathered appendages. Seeds of V. neoglutinosa measure 31.34 × 0.17mm, while T. gardneri has fruits that measure 42.33 × 2.73mm and seeds, 32.46 × 0.13mm. The fruits and seeds of B. antiacantha were the only ones which showed difference for both parameters among the collected individuals, which can be a reflection of habitat fragmentation, as it may result from greater phenotypic plasticity or possible genetic isolation from other groups, creating low gene flow. On the contrary, T. gardneri showed a smaller difference in fruits and seeds for both parameters, which may indicate that they have greater gene flow, despite habitat fragmentation, and keep relations with different population.

Keywords:—Fruit; Seeds; Populations.