Qualea grandiflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae), commonly known as "pau-terra", is an arborous species native to the Brazilian savannah which possess commercial interests, as it can be used either as an ornamental or as a medicinal plant. "Pau-terra" can also be used in the heterogeneous reforestation of areas which are destined for restoration of permanent preservation degraded areas. Propagation studies with this species are scarce, being necessary then further clarification regarding the factors that influences the germination process. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different temperatures, substrates and light conditions on seed germination. We selected light brown seeds which were subjected to different interactions between temperatures (15-25, 20-30, 25 and 30°C), substrate (paper, sand and vermiculite) and light (light and dark). All seeds were later dryincubated at 32°C for 3, 6 and 12 hours. After treatments, seeds were kept in BOD at 58% RH and the following parameters were calculated: germination (%G) and germination speed index (GSI); the formation of normal and abnormal seedlings and the number dead seeds. Interaction was observed for all variables. In the optimum temperature range, the seeds behaved as photoblastic neutral or indifferent. Under alternating temperatures, darkness enhanced the germination, especially when combined with the lower temperatures. We noted that the sowing in sand, at 25°C, allowed the maintenance of suitable combinations of germination and seedling development. With respect to desiccation tolerance, "pau-terra" seeds presented an orthodox behavior, with a linear increase of the vigor as function of drying.Key words: Light, temperature, substrate, drying, orthodox. (15-25, 20-30, 25 Palavras-chave: Luz, temperatura, substrato, secagem, ortodoxa.
TECNOLOGIA DE SEMENTES DE Qualea grandiflora MART. (VOCHYSIACEAE)
RESUMO: Qualea grandiflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae), conhecida como pau-terra, é uma espécie arbórea nativa do cerrado brasileiro que apresenta interesse comercial, como ornamental e medicinal, podendo ainda ser empregada em reflorestamentos heterogêneos, destinados á recomposição de áreas degradadas de preservação permanente. Estudos de propagação com essa espécie são escassos, sendo necessários maiores esclarecimentos quanto aos fatores que influenciam no processo germinativo. Nesse contexto, objetivouse avaliar a influência de diferentes temperaturas, substratos e condições de luminosidade na germinação de sementes de pau-terra. Foram selecionadas sementes de coloração marrom clara e submetidas a interação entre temperaturas