Duguetia flagellaris Huber (Annonaceae), is one of the three species of Section Geantemum. They inhabit the understory of dryland forests and are made up of 2-7m tall trees, characterized by having hairy branches, coming from various regions of the stem towards the ground, where they branch, producing flowers and fruits. The present work aims to contribute to a better knowledge of D. flagellaris Huber, addressing aspects of its taxonomy and forms of dispersal and reproduction. The work was developed in the Mocambo Reserve, in 10 plots of 10 x 10m. In each plot, the specimens were counted and their height and diameter measured, as well as the length of each branch. From these the floral buds, flowers and fruits were counted. Two methods were applied to follow the development of the fruits: one consisted in protecting 4 fruits with nylon bags, 2 on the ground and 2 suspended, and the other in keeping 5 fruits without protection. A total of 578 individuals were recorded, 153 adults with trunk diameters ranging from 2-11cm, 47 juveniles, and 378 regenerations, 86 of which had sapling branches ranging in length from 0.05-4.96m. There were 115 buds, 105 flowers and 9 fruits counted. It was observed that most of the flowers did not produce fruit, being damaged by beetles and other insects. At the conclusion of the work, the fruits had not yet reached the ripening stage, and it was not possible to test their germination viability. It is assumed that D. flagellaris has asexual reproduction as the predominant form, since the aphylous branches after some time emit regenerations, forming aggregate populations. According to observations, small rodents are its main dispersers.
|
