Morfología y viabilidad de semillas de Bombacopsis quinata y Anacardium excelsum

Abstract

Most of tropical forest species are propagated by sexual seed, but in many cases, their morphology is unknown and there is no standardized rapid measurement of viability with biochemical tests. The aim of the study was to describe the morphological characteristics and viability of the species seed Bombacopsis quinata and Anacardium excelsum. The study was conducted at the Cordoba University, Monteria - Colombia, between April 2012 and July 2014. In forest plantations in five locations in Cordoba department, five trees by species were randomly selected, and each tree, five samples of 100 seeds were taken randomly. For morphometric description of the parts of seeds, 10 seeds by species were used. Biochemistry tetrazolium test was done under a completely randomized design, with six treatments: three tetrazolium concentration, 0,5; 1,0 and 1,5 % with two times of immersion in the solution: two and three hours, and four replications of 25 seeds each. The viability obtained with tetrazolium test was compared with a conventional test of germination in laboratory. External characteristics of the seeds of the species B. quinata, showed less variation than A. excelsum, especially those related with the weight of them. Three topological patterns were identified in the seeds of each species. The concentration of 1,0 % tetrazolium for three hours, proved to be effective to determine the seed viability of these two species.