Resumo

BRICENO, Arnaldo  e  MACIEL, Norberto. Effect of temperature and fruit and seed factors on seedling emergence of Coccothrinax barbadensis (Lodd. former Mart.) Becc.. Bioagro [online]. 2004, vol.16, n.2, pp.127-132. ISSN 1316-3361.

Coccothrinax barbadensis is a palm with high ornamental potential. Due to the fact that the propagation characteristics of palms may vary among species, the effect of fruit and seed factors on seedling emergence was studied. On a first trial, the effect of fruit ripening stage (seeds from fruits beginning maturity or completely mature fruits) and their scarification (fruit with pericarp, without pericarp, or without pericarp treated with sulfuric acid) were evaluated under a 2x3 factorial arrangement of treatments with four replications (100 seeds each). High values for final percentage of seedling emergence (% E) were obtained in seeds from fruits with or without pericarp regardless of fruit maturity stage. The use of sulfuric acid in both ripening stages negatively affected % E, although emergence started earlier. In a second simultaneous trial, seeds were submitted to three temperature treatments: ordinary indoor environment (26 ºC average), constant 30 ºC, and variable 30/20 ºC day/night, with six replications. All these treatments affected % E. The seeds at environment temperature showed the highest emergence. Emergence initiated earlier in seeds under constant temperature (30 ºC). We conclude that emergence was affected by scarification and temperature, although it was not by the fruit ripening stage.

Palavras-chave : Ornamental plants; germination.