Fenologia e desenvolvimento de Pavonia Malacophylla (Link & Otto) Garcke (malvaceae) condicionada pelo ambiente em área de reserva ecológica em Minas Gerais

Abstract

Plant development is greatly limited by the amount of sunlight available and is negatively affected by herbivory. Small plants as shrubs, with ornamental and invasive potential, can be used in urban and agricultural areas to attract and maintain pollinators, but they can also compete with species whitin natural areas and modify the community composition. Our objective was to determine how the development of a native and common species of the Malvaceae family occurs in an urban ecological reserve of Cerrado, evaluating plants from sunny and shaded places. Pavonia malacophylla presents a seasonal phenological pattern, with great influence of precipitation, annual and regular flowering, constant presence of mature leaves and leaf herbivory throughout the 12 months of study. The presence and quantity of fruits were higher in sunny plants. The timing of the presentation of the phenophases was similar, but the intensity was higher in the plants that received a lot of sunlight. The leaves and branches morphological characteristics indicate a better development with higher light intensities, even so it is tolerant to shaded places. We suggest that P. malacophylla can be used in urban ornamentation because the species can develop well in different light incidences and its long flowering is interesting for the maintenance of floral visitors.