BIOMETRY OF FRUITS AND SEEDS AND GERMINATION OF Calotropis procera AITON (Apocynaceae)

This research aimed to evaluate the biometry of fruits and seeds Calotropis procera and to establish the optimum light, temperature and substrate conditions for seeds germination. It was evaluated length, width, thickness and weight of fruits and seeds, number of seeds per fruit, moisture content and weight of 1000 seeds. Evaluated the following variables: germination and the germination average time. The experimental design was completely randomized with a factorial arrangement 6x3x2, using six temperatures (20, 25, 30, 35, 20-30 e 25-30 degrees C), three substrates (sand, towel paper and blotting paper) and two light conditions (presence and absence), with six replications of 50 seeds. It was concluded that there is variability for characters related to fruit size and weight of silk-flower, the number of seeds per fruit is high, favoring the spread of the species, widely distributed in the semiarid region. It is recommended that the initial and final counts of the germination test are performed at 5 and 10 days after sowing, respectively. The constant temperature of 30 degrees C, alternating 25-30 degrees C and the substrates sand and paper roll were the most appropriate conditions for germination and the seeds are indifferent to light.