PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CUACHALALATE (Amphipterygium adstringens (Schltdl.) Standl.) FRUITS FROM THREE PROVENANCES

Abstract

The cuachalalate (Amphipterygium adstringens (Schltdl.) Standl.) fruit is a dry and indehiscent samara with a flattened wing. Its bark is used in traditional medicine against many diseases. This research studied morphological variation of the fruit from three provenances of cuachalalate: San Juan de los Cués, Oaxaca State, Quilamula, Morelos State and Zacatepec, Morelos State. Fruit and wing length; and length, width and thickness of pericarp were recorded. Two samples of 30 fruits per tree were randomly taken in San Juan de los Cués and Quilamula (20 individuals) and Zacatepec (18 individuals). The number of seeds and locules per fruit was recorded with random samples of 30 fruits and four replicates per tree. The data was analyzed as a split plot experimental design, where the main plot was the provenance and the subplots were the trees. Significant differences (P = 0.01) were found for the variables: fruit length 52.0 ± 5.0, 43.9 ± 3.6 and 39.0 ± 3.5 mm, wing length 38.4 ± 4.0, 31.0 ± 3.2 and 27.6 ± 3.3 mm; length 13.6 ± 1.2, 12.8 ± 1.1 and 11.3 ± 0.9 mm, width 17.6 ± 1.8, 17.5 ± 1.8 and 16.6 ± 1.9 mm, and pericarp thickness 10.5 ± 0.8, 9.9 ± 0.8 and 9.1 ± 0.6 mm, for Zacatepec, Quilamula and San Juan de los Cués, respectively. Percentage of fruit with one seed was 43.2 ± 10.3 %, 32.3 ± 13.1 % and 24.6 ± 12.6 % from Zacatepec, Quilamula and San Juan de los Cués, respectively. It was concluded that cuachalalate has morphological fruit variation.