Morphological aspects of the propagation in Heliconia velloziana L. Emygd. (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae)

• Published in: Brazilian archives of biology and technology 2003-01, Vol.46 (1), p.65-72
• Main Authors: Simão, Daniela G., Scatena, Vera L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Heliconia; rhizomes; seed propagation; seedlings; vegetative propagation
• ISSN: 1516-8913; 1516-8913; 1678-4324
• DOI: 10.1590/S1516-89132003000100011

Morphology of seed and vegetative propagation was studied toHeliconia velloziana L. Emygd. (Heliconiaceae), a rhizomatous herb with a large aerial part. Seeds took about four months to germinate, probably due to the undifferentiated embryo and hard endocarp. Seedlings had two first foliar structures as scale leaves and the primary root developed, but the adventitious roots were more conspicuous. Vegetative propagation by rhizomes was faster than the sexual one. The roots developed after one month, while young shoots started developing after four to six weeks; young aerial shoots presented a variable number of cataphylls and two protophylls. A morfologia da propagação por sementes e da propagação vegetativa foi estudada em Heliconia velloziana L. Emygd. (Heliconiaceae). As sementes levaram cerca de quatro meses para germinar, provavelmente pelo embrião indiferenciado na época da maturação do fruto e também devido ao endocarpo pétreo, que envolve a semente. As duas primeiras estruturas foliares nas plântulas são escamiformes e as raízes adventícias são mais conspícuas do que a raiz primária. Na propagação vegetativa as raízes se desenvolveram a partir de quatro semanas e os brotos a partir de quatro a seis semanas; inicialmente foram formados os catafilos, e depois dois protofilos.