Evaluación de la producción y características de semillas de Asteraceae del páramo de Zhurucay en épocas de alta y baja precipitación

Abstract

This work was carried out for the species M. vaccinioides, D. ericoides, G. miniphylla and C. jussieui, of the Asteraceae family, present in the Zhurucay páramo, Azuay province. A batch of heads from 15 individuals was collected and the production of achenes (viable, non-viable, empty and infested) was analyzed at the species level. Morphological and quality characterization of the achenes was carried out from another general lot of heads from the populations distributed throughout the study area, and germination tests were carried out on this same lot, for which a design was applied. completely randomly independent for each collection season (factor 1), with two levels: high and low precipitation. In addition, the state of maturity (factor 2) was considered, with two levels: semi-mature and matured ex situ, with five repetitions of 50 seeds each. The number of achenes produced in the two collection seasons did not present significant differences for any species and all species presented low viability (<5%) and a high presence of empty achenes (19.97%-80%). In the case of C. jussieui, it showed greater infestation of larvae and pupae, this being greater in the season of high rainfall (55%). Regarding the morphological and quality characterization, significant differences were obtained in the achenes with respect to their size, weight and moisture content in the high rainfall season, except for C. jussieui, which had the opposite effect. Finally, all the species presented less than 45 germinated achenes (18%), M. vaccinioides and C. jussieui showed a greater number of germinated mature achenes, collected without differences between the periods of high or low rainfall. D. ericoides did not present differences and G. miniphylla only had two germinated semi-mature achenes collected in the high rainfall season.