Morphology of seeds and seedlings of four species of Vigna Savi (Leguminosae, Phaseolinae)

OJEDA, F. S.; HOC, P. S.; AMELA GARCÍA, M. T.

ACTA BOTANICA BRASILICA

SOC BOTANICA BRASIL

Lugar: San Pablo; Año: 2013 vol. 27 p. 483 - 489

0102-3306

Four neotropical species of Vigna Savi (Leguminosae, Phaseolinae) have potential value as forage crops or ornamentalsand could be cultivated in tropical or subtropical areas, even on floodplains. In order to obtain useful data for theirculture and taxonomy, the seed morphology, germination pattern (hypogeal or epigeal) and seedling developmentwere studied. The studied species belong to different sections of the genus: V. adenantha (G.F.W. Meyer) Maréchal,Mascherpa & Stainier (Sect. Leptospron); V. candida (Vell.) Maréchal, Mascherpa & Stainier (Sect. Sigmoidotropis);V. caracalla (L.) Verdc. (Sect. Caracallae) and V. luteola (Jacq.) Benth. (Sect. Vigna). The seeds were collected duringfieldwork conducted in northwestern and northeastern Argentina. The qualitative and quantitative characters of theseeds were registered, after which they were sown. The development of the emerged seedlings was followed, first ina greenhouse and thereafter in open field. We recorded the type of germination, the thigmotropic movements of thehypocotyl and of the stem, seedling architecture and plant longevity. These traits allowed us to differentiate the speciesand construct an identification key that could be useful for agronomic or floricultural purposes. The data obtainedpartially support the current taxonomic treatment of the genus.