Ontogeny of fruit and seed of Passiflora capsularis L. and Passiflora cervii Milward de Azevedo (Passifloraceae)

• Grant number: 11/18234-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2011
• End date: October 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Sandra Maria Carmello-Guerreiro
• Grantee: Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Passifloraceae contains about 750 species distributed throughout the tropics, being made up of vines, shrubs and small trees. Its species have a wide range of floral structures that result of co-evolutionary relationships. In Brazil there are four genus: Ancisthrothyrsus, Dilkea, Mitostemma and Passiflora, being the last one the largest and most well represented in Brazil. The taxonomy of the Passiflora genus is still bein subjected to intensive review. According to the most uptated classification, there are four subgenus - Astrophea, Decaloba, Dedamioides and Passiflora. The subgenus Decaloba includes more than 200 species and attracts special interest in the beauty of its leaves and rapid growth. This subgenus is divided in many sections. The Xerogona Section includes Passiflora capsularis and the recently described Passiflora cervii, both of them have capsular fruit, an exception in Passiflora, whose fruits are commonly berries. Both morphology and anatomy of these species' fruits are poorly known or even unknown, so the distinction between Passiflora capsularis and Passiflora cervii is hampered by relying on few morphological characters, which affect the taxonomy of the group. In this context, the project will be focused on the description of the anatomical development of fruits and seeds of Passiflora capsularis and Passiflora Cervii, and in the search for anatomical differences between the two species, which may contribute to the taxonomy of the group.(AU)