MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF FRUITS AND SEEDS OF Annona crassiflora Mart. (ANNONACEAE) FROM CENTRAL BRAZIL

Abstract

ABSTRACT With the existing reduction of the vegetation cover of the Cerrado, several tree species have their areas of occurrence diminished, and as a consequence, they lose part of their genetic diversity. To counter this scenario it is necessary to know the genetic diversity in order to base projects and practical conservation measures. Thus, the objective of this work was to investigate the genetic variability of Annona crassiflora by means of morphometric data of fruits and seeds in four populations in central Brazil. In total, 152 fruits were obtained from 73 matrices, of which the height, diameter, fruit mass, mass of 100 seeds and number of seeds per fruit were measured. The fruits were stripped and the seed removed to measure their height, width and thickness. The hierarchical cluster study showed the grouping of 11 small groups and two large groups, and in these two large groups there are representatives of the four populations sampled. This shows that there is no specific division of populations, indicating high genetic variability. The fruits of the Buritis population were, as a rule, significantly larger than those of other populations, which may indicate genetic distancing or different environmental conditions of pollination and dispersion. This pattern was not observed in the seed size analysis, although there was a statistical difference between the populations. In general, the largest dimensions were found in the populations of Planaltina and Buritis. Therefore, the analyzes indicate high genetic diversity and fruits/seeds with larger dimensions in the best-preserved state.