Morphology of piqui (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm) fruit, seed and seedling

Abstract

Morphologic aspects of the fruit, seed and seedling of Caryocar coriaceum were described. It’s known popularly by piqui. It’s collected in savanna areas and cerradão, located in Crato-CE, in January 2003 and February 2003, in the rain season. The research was led at the Laboratory of Seeds - LAS, at Federal University of Ceará - UFC.  The Fruits of C. coriaceum originate from an syncarpous ovary, made up by four carpel; hypogynous, tetraloculary, containing four anatropous ovule inserted in the axile placentary. When they are ripe, they usually present the egg-shaped form and fleshy consistence. It‘s characterized as a fruit named nuculanio, indehiscent, composed by four free pirênios and disposed on floral receiver. Each pirenio has its own seed, usually reniform, with scarce or absent endosperm and hypocotiledonar embryo, voluminous, bent to a certain height and forming a type of knee. Then turns fine, cylindrical and straight with two small cotyldons and escaliforms. The fleshy portion that recovers the pirenio is edible. The seedling at 150 days presents epicotyl with defined knots and inter-knots and the lenticels. Eophyll in number of two, simple, glaber, membranceus, opposite phylilotaxy, light green coloration in abaxial and adaxial faces, nervure penninervis, collector nervure, obovate and serrated borders; petiolata (clear green petiole), with two stipules interpetiolar. As of the third pair of leaves, they showed a composed character, trifolioliate.