We studied the fruits and seeds of Styrax camporum Pohl. (Styracaceae), a typical tree of the Brazilian "cerrado", aiming to describe their morphology, anatomy, and ontogeny. Samples of fruits and seeds were collected and processed by standard techniques. Developing fruits were classified into four stages: I - initial stage, characterized by ovaries of the floral bud; II - ovary of the flower in post-anthesis and young fruits; III - pre-mature fruits; IV - mature fruits. The fruit is fleshy and monospermic, with a persistent calyx. The pericarp presents a uniseriate exocarp, with stellate lignified trichomes and dome-shaped cells of irregular sizes. The outer mesocarp consists of multisseriate parenchyma, radially elongated at maturity. Vascular bundles are observed in the inner third part of the mesocarp. In spite of the fruit of this species to be classified as a drupe, its inner mesocarp and endocarp are composed by a few fiber layers only, without forming the pyrene with the typical hardness of these kind of fruit. The endocarp fusion with the seed coat is not seen. The seed is typical of the Styracaceae; it is unitegmic, with multiseriate and thick testa. The exotesta is uniseriate and some layers of stone cells are seen in the outer mesotesta. Internally to these cells, some vascular bundles occur, followed by many layers of parenchyma cells, containing evident lipid reserve. The embryo is axial, straight and espatulate, consisting of a typical embryonic axis and leaf-like cotyledons.
anatomy; fruit; morphology; seed; Styrax camporum
