Morphological and physiological variability of Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. fruits and seedlings from three coastal ecosystems of Cuba

Raúl C. López-Sánchez; Ernesto Gómez-Padilla; Bettina Eichler- Löbermann; Roeland Samson; Patrick Van Damme

Morphological and physiological variability of Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. fruits and seedlings from three coastal ecosystems of Cuba

Raúl C. López-Sánchez, Ernesto Gómez-Padilla, Bettina Eichler- Löbermann, Roeland Samson, Patrick Van Damme

Abstract

Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L., commonly known as seagrape, has perspectives due to the use that can be given to it as wood, firewood, as well as the medicinal properties of its leaves and fruits. In the present work some characteristics of the fruits and seeds and indicators of the growth and accumulation of biomass in beach grape seedlings from three locations in Cuba were evaluated. Specimens from the Guardalavaca provenance showed larger fruits, while those from the Cayo Coco provenance produced the largest and heaviest seeds. The seedlings from Cayo Coco showed the highest values of accumulation of biomass in the aerial part and in the root, in addition to the accumulation of water in their tissues. The results indicate that there is variability in the parameters evaluated in the fruits and seeds, as well as in the morphological and physiological indicators of the seedlings from three locations. There is a strong positive and significant correlation between the characteristics of the seeds and indicators of biomass accumulation and water content in the plant.

Keywords

Coccoloba uvifera; plant physiology; fruit and seed morphology; coastal ecosystems.

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