Germinação de Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong, (Fabaceae) a partir de sementes excisadas para simulação de efeito de granivoria

Abstract

Enterolobium contortisiliquum seeds shows strong physical dormancy due to tegument impermeability to water and oxygen. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the hypothesis that the partial ingestion of seed by granivores, induced by enterolobin, could be a reproductive advantage strategy by reducing the time of permanence in the seed bank. The seeds gone under mechanical scarification and then located on B.O.D. chamber for germination. The seeds were divided in two experiments, large and small, and then submitted to three treatments: T50 and T25, where the seeds have 25% and 50% of his cotyledon removed, respectively, and T0 with intact seeds. The seeds count was performed daily during seven days. The results showed effectiveness on germination treatments, in agreement with the hypothesis that partial consumed seeds, with intact embryo, could face dormancy break and germinate faster.