Known locally as 'catingueira', Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) L. P. Queiroz is an arboreal species endemic to the Caatinga which is extensively exploited for its timber, forage and pharmacological potential. Given the relevance of this importance, the objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds among parent trees of P. pyramidalis using physiological tests, for the purposes of environmental restoration. The field study was carried out at the Fazenda Açude Farm, in the town of Soledad, Paraíba, Brazil, where 28 parent catingueira trees were selected. The analyses were done at the Laboratory for Seed Analysis, in the Centre for Agricultural Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba. The following variables were evaluated: water content, thousand seed weight, number of seeds per kilogram, germination, vigor {first count and rate of germination index, seedling length and dry weight, emergence, emergence rate index and emergence first count, accelerated aging (traditional procedure and saturated NaCl solution)}. The experimental design was completely randomized, with the data undergoing variance analysis and the comparison of averages using the Scott-Knott test at 5% probability. Based on the results, the physiological quality of Poincianella pyramidalis seeds varies even when coming from trees in the same area, the accelerated aging test as used in the traditional method, for a period of 24 hours and at a temperature of 41 ºC, is shown to be the most efficient means of testing vigour when evaluating the physiological potential of the seeds of P. Pyramidalis.
Vigour; Caatinga; Semiarid; Catingueira
