Reproductive system of Eriocnema fulva Naudin (Melastomataceae), an endemic species of Minas Gerais state, SE Brazil

Eriocnema fulva Naudin is a perennial herb, endemic to Minas Gerais state, SE Brazil, found on humid, shaded rocky riverbanks in montane semideciduous seasonal forests. The species is threatened, but information regarding its biology is still lacking, although such information is fundamental to any management plan. We aimed to evaluate the reproductive system of Eriocnema fulva in the Jambreiro Forest (19 degrees 58'-59' S and 43 degrees 55'-52' W, 800-1100 m altitude), municipality of Nova Lima, by experiments carried out in 1997 and 1998. The flowers are white, and flowering is of the steady state type, occurring once a year from November to December. Anthers are poricidal, and pollen is the only resource for visitors. The chromosome number is n = 17 during meiosis. The species is self-compatible, but does not produce fruits by spontaneous self-pollination or agamospermy; it requires pollen vectors and buzz pollination in order to produce fruits. Cross-pollination is the main reproductive strategy of E. fulva, and is accentuated by the small number of flowers (one or two in each plant) opened per day. Although the population studied was shaded by forest canopy, the seeds needed light to germinate. Germination ratio was lower in germination cabinet on filter paper (14% after 30 days) than in greenhouse on soil brought from the forest (47% after 25 days). Although the fruit is a capsule and the seeds are small, dispersion (anemochory or hydrochory) does not seem to occur at long distance, as it is the case for other Melastomataceae species with similar syndrome.