Morphological characterization of fruits and seeds of Ruellia furcata (Nees) Lindau (Acanthaceae) from Espírito Santo State, Brazil

Acanthaceae is a wide spread family with usually capsular fruits, with two valves and explosive dehiscence containing two or more seeds. The morphological features of fruits and seeds are important in the identification at supra especific level, since they vary morphologically. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the morphology of the fruits and seeds of Ruellia furcata. This species is endemic to Brazil and restrict to restinga areas. The collection was carried out with the aid of a gauze type fabric. The fruits were measured in length of the sterile and fertile portion, total length, width, thickness, and retinacula height. The seeds were measured in length, width and thickness. For description, internal and external details were pointed. The fruits and seeds of R. furcata present morphological features that are commonly found in the genus however, its characteristics allow it to be positioned taxonomically and provide an understanding of its dispersion.