Aspectos morfológicos de frutos e sementes de Vouacapoua americana Aubl. (leg.caesalp.)

Abstract

The acapu Vouacapoua americana, is a species of great economic value, identified with the ecological conditions of the humid tropics, and its geographic distribution is wide throughout the Amazon. This work continues a study of fruit and seed recognition of the Leguminosae family occurring in the Mocambo Reserve, Belém-PA. In order to collect data to better characterize the species and to aid in the knowledge of its biology, parameters such as: shape, coloration, dimensions, consistency, among others, were analyzed. One hundred (100) fruits and seeds were collected in the study area. After being analyzed, the following morphological aspects were verified: the fruits are of the drupaceous legume type with an obovate to oblanceolate shape, measuring about 4.60 to 7.82 cm in length and 2.87 to 4.71 in diameter. When ripe, they are brown and their surface is rough and hairy. The seed is unique per fruit, obovate in shape, the forehead is dark in color, the hilum is hidden, and the endosperm is absent. Accompanying the analysis of the most striking morphological characteristics, records were also made, in the form of drawings of the fruits and seeds with the aid of a clear camera. Through these results, one can conclude that the fruits vary in shape within the same specimen and in different specimens in the same location. However, in other characters such as coloration, consistency and size there was no significant variation, as well as in the characteristics analyzed in the seed.