horticultura horticultura brasileira brasileira A s pimentas do gênero Capsicum apresentam ampla diversidade genética e grande versatilidade de uso além da alimentação. Fazem parte da formulação de produtos farmacêuti-cos e cosméticos, são utilizadas como matéria-prima do spray de pimenta usado como defesa pessoal e arma de efeito moral e também são empregadas como plantas ornamentais devido às características estéticas que apresentam.As pimentas ornamentais pertencem à família Solanaceae, a qual agrega outras espécies que também são admiradas pelas características ornamentais que apresentam (Stummel & Bosland, 2007), como as petúnias (várias espécies dos gêneros Petunia e Calibrachoa), as nicotianas e o tomate ornamental (Solanum licopersicum) (Freitas et al., 2008; Stumpf et al., 2009 RESUMOO mercado de pimentas ornamentais no Brasil tem boa perspectiva de crescimento. Porém, apesar de haver ampla variabilidade genética disponível nos bancos de germoplasma no país para o desenvolvimento de novas cultivares, há poucas cultivares comerciais. O conhecimento das necessidades e preferências dos consumidores aumenta as chances de sucesso para novas cultivares. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a aceitação e as preferências do consumidor em relação a pimentas ornamentais do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma de Capsicum da Embrapa Clima Temperado. Dezessete acessos de pimentas ornamentais cultivadas em vasos foram submetidos à avaliação de aceitação e preferência dos consumidores. Foram aplicadas entrevistas individuais semi-estruturadas para 200 pessoas, para apurar a percepção em relação às pimentas ornamentais, a ordem de preferência e o porquê da escolha. Entre os acessos que obtiveram maior valor ornamental, pode-se perceber ampla diversidade para coloração de frutos imaturos e maduros, formato dos frutos, tamanho e coloração da folhagem. O maior valor ornamental foi atribuído para as plantas P28, P119, P180, P254 e P259, genótipos altamente promissores para o desenvolvimento de cultivares de pimentas ornamentais. Destes, P28, P119, P180 e P254 apresentam frutos maduros de cor vermelha e apenas o acesso P259 apresenta frutos maduros de cor amarela. Formato e tamanho de fruto não foram decisivos na escolha dos entrevistados para as plantas mais ornamentais. Não foi observada diferença na percepção dos consumidores em relação aos tipos de pimenta ornamental quando foi considerada a estratificação de idade, escolaridade e sexo dos entrevistados. As pimentas ornamentais cultivadas em vasos tiveram excelente aceitação por parte dos consumidores. A maior preferência é para plantas com frutos de coloração contrastante em relação à folhagem.Palavras-chave: Capsicum spp., acessos, variabilidade, melhoramento vegetal, valor ornamental.

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Beyond aesthetics, the contemporary landscaping intends to provide other benefits for humans and environment, especially related to the environmental quality of urban spaces and conservation of the species. A trend in this direction is the reduction in the use of exotic plants in their designs, since, over time, they can become agents of replacement of native flora, as it has occurred in Rio Grande do Sul with many species introduced by settlers. However, the use of exotic species is unjustifiable, because the flora diversity of the Bioma Pampa offers many native species with appropriate features to the ornamental use. The commercial cultivation and the implantation of native species in landscaped areas constitute innovations for plant nurseries and landscapers and can provide a positive reduction in extractivism, contributing to dissemination, exploitation and preservation of native flora, and also decrease the impact of chemical products on environment. So, this work intends to identify native species of Bioma Pampa with features and uses similar to the most used exotic species at Brazilian landscaping. The species were selected from consulting books about native plants of Bioma Pampa and plants used at Brazilian landscaping, considering the similarity on habit and architecture, as well as characteristics of leafs, flowers and/or fruits and environmental conditions of occurrence and cultivation. There were identified 34 native species able to properly replace exotic species commonly used. The results show that many native species of Bioma Pampa have interesting ornamental features to landscape gardening, allowing them to replace exotic species that are traditionally cultivated.

Genetic dissimilarity among Capsicum chinense accessions based on flower characteristicsCapsicum peppers are extremely important in Brazil for the spice market and as ornamental. The estimation of genetic diversity is important for the choice of parents in a breeding program. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of multicategoric descriptors for flowers to estimate the genetic dissimilarity among Capsicum chinense accessions from the Capsicum Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture The experiment was conducted from October 2009 to March 2010 in the experimental field of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture, with 22 accessions evaluated in randomized blocks and ten plants per plot. Five flowers of each plant, ten plants per access were used for the morphological characterization of the flowers. Five quantitative and ten qualitative multicategoric descriptors were used, making a total of 15. Mean comparison tests were carried out, and the clustering methods UPGMA and Tocher

Production and use of ornamental pumpkin landraces in the Rio Grande do Sul State, BrazilLandraces of several cucurbit species are cultivated in Brazil. The greatest genetic diversity of cultivated Cucurbita seems to be found in Rio Grande do Sul State, where farmers have the knowledge and practice to store and exchange these seeds. Many of these varieties have potential for ornamental use. This research was developed to rescue the popular knowledge associated with the use and cultivation of landraces of ornamental pumpkins in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Farmers that donor landraces seeds to the Cucurbitaceae Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture were interviewed. A semi-structured questionnaire was used, with respondent identification (name, age, profession, gender, ethnicity and address) and guiding questions relating to knowledge about ornamental pumpkins (history of cultivation in the family, origin of the seed, popular name assigned, reasons to keep growing, planting time and harvest, the fruit selection criteria, ways to use, location and crop management, and ways of removing and storing seeds). We interviewed 12 farmers who donate the seeds for the Bank and, through them, nine other growers of ornamental pumpkin landraces were identified, which added three new accessions to the Bank. In conclusion, a relationship between the selections and their guardians was observed and a wide diversity of ornamental pumpkin landraces maintained by farmers in southern Rio Grande do Sul State was reported.