Abstract

GARCIA-DE LA CRUZ, Yureli; HERNANDEZ-RAMIREZ, Angélica María; RAMOS-PRADO, José María  and  OLIVARES-LOPEZ, Luis Alejandro. Fruit and seed production of two tree native species in a cloud forest from Veracruz, Mexico. Polibotánica [online]. 2015, n.39, pp.103-118. ISSN 1405-2768.

Fruit and seed production were estimated and compared from a sample of trees of Liquidambar styraciflua and Alchornea latifolia in a cloud forest in central Veracruz state. Trees were selected based on their phenotypic characteristics; structural data were taken (diameter at breast height, height and coverage) and were compared with seed production in each species. 70 380 fruits, 140 760 seeds and 6.02 kg per tree were estimated in Alchornea latifolia and 5 738 fruits, 303 218 seeds and 0.7 kg per tree in Liquidambar styraciflua. None of the structural variables contributed to explain seed and fruit production in superior trees. However, the variation between individuals (tree identity) helped to explain the observed differences in the production of infructescences per branch, seeds per infructescence and seed weight per infructescence in both species.

Keywords : Alchornea latifolia; Liquidambar styraciflua; superior trees; germplasm; cloud forest.