The cotyledonary petiole (CP) completely envelops the embryo axis during embryogenesis in Arecaceae. There is little information available, however, on the roles of that structure in seed germination and initial seedling development-crucial plant life cycle phases. The study therefore sought to evaluate the roles of CP in the germination and post-seminal development of the recalcitrant seeds of Mauritia flexuosa, an ecologically and economically important neotropical palm. The CP and the embryo/vegetative axis were evaluated during germination and initial seedling development using standard morphological, anatomical, histochemical, and ultrastructural methodologies. Evaluations of dormant seeds incubated for 60 days were also performed. The CP (a) promotes seedling protrusion in the germination, extending the embryo axis outside the seed; (b) protects the vegetative axis through the development of coating rich in phenolic compounds and lignin; (c) participates in reserve translocation, with the conversion of its own proteinaceous/mucilaginous reserves into transitional starch, as well as acting in the transport of endospermic reserves; (d) favors aeration, with the formation of pathways among stomata, substomatal chambers, and intercellular spaces; (e) controls seedling morphogenesis by modulating the curvature of the vegetative axis; and (f) contributes to overcoming seed bank dormancy through cytological alterations (protein synthesis and mitochondrial proliferation). The cotyledonary petiole of palms is a unique and multifunctional structure among angiosperms, with crucial roles in germination and seedling establishment.
Keywords: Embryo; Germination; Palms; Seed reserve mobilization; Seedling morphogenesis.