Morfologia do fruto em desenvolvimento de Mauritia flexuosa L.f (Arecaceae: Calamoideae)

Abstract

Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.f), characteristic of natural flooded areas, is one of the species of the most widely distributed palms in South America, with great potential socioeconomic and environmental. Therefore, studies about the structure and biology of the species are important and necessary. In this sense, the objective of this work was to characterize the morphology of the mature fruit through biometric and structural aspects of the pericarp and seed, as well as how to describe the stages of fruit development. Biometrics were generated by measuring the variables size, weight and water content of the mature fruit and seed (n= 100) using digital caliper and semi-analytical scale 0.01g and oven (~65°). The study of development and fruit collections were made between the months of April/2019 to March/2020 on the roads of municipality of Manaus BR-174 km 15 and Iranduba AM-070 km 08, with collections carried out fortnightly to assess the development stages of the studied matrices. the fruit mature has a length of 58.88±3.42 mm and a width of 38.72±1.01 mm, fresh weight on average 62.5±4.84 g, moisture content: 58.8%. The seed is 34.60±1.57 mm long and 26.42±2.29 mm wide with a moisture content of 54.11%; Ripe fruit is a drupe oblong, with persistent perianth and remaining stigma, unispermic, eventually di/trispermic; often with anomalous forms, however include complete seed; imbricated scaly epicarp, ruby red; mesocarp a yellow, oleaginous mass, edible and sweet; spongy, thin, yellowish-white endocarp; rigid integument, brown, where the operculum and raphe bulge stand out; whitish endosperm and extremely hard; the embryo is campilotropous, with a mean diameter of 2.41±0.86 mm and length of 5.38±1.05. These data allow the characterization of the morphology and fruit development of Mauritia flexuosa L.f. contributing to the taxonomy of Arecaceae: Calamoideae and, combined with ecophysiological studies, are essential for the management and conservation of the species.