XVI International Botanical Congess

Morphological features of seed of 14 species representing 5 genera of the Solanaceae including Cuatresia. Lycianthes, Nicandra, Salpichroa, and Sessea were subjected to morphological comparative analysis, using light and electron microscope. Due the seed characters are slightly influenced by environmental conditions, the diversity of their morphological features provides valuable criteria for classification between species. The qualitative and quantitative data obtained for 10 selected characters are considerate in the description of each species and compared to those of other species to identify features of taxonomic importance. Illustrations are presented with the aid of a Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The seeds show variation in the features examined, specially in the data from SEM related to the cellular patterns of the peripheral and central surface. Four seed coat relief features could be distinguished. Minor variation in shape, color, dimension, weight, seed number, hilum position and shape were founded between species. Practical application of macro-micro characters of seed is suggested in a key to determinate the studied species and thus provide the basis for this paper.