Boi. Mus. Para. Emílio Goeldi, sér. Boi. 18(1), 2002 
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Biologia floral. Pólen, Plantas medicinais, 
Quassia amara. 
ABSTRACT - The descriptive stiidy of the polleii grains and floral 
biology of Quassia amara L. ( Simaroubaceae) was carried out in the 
Embrapa Amazônia Oriental Experimental Eield, in Belém-Pará, during 
the period of Jidy, 1997 to September, 1998. This species occupies an 
important economical position, due to the use of its active siibstances 
which are utilized in the therapeutics of several diseases and the 
fornudation of natural insecticides as well. Q. amara is a shrub that 
blooms during the whole year The flowers are bisexual, arranged in 
erect panicidate inflorescences. The anthesis started around 22 o 'clock 
and the senescence begun 3-4 days afler the anthesis. The anthers are 
centrally disposed surrounding the gynoecim and opened 
longitudinally, with the pollen exposure between 11 and 12:30 o’clock. 
The stigma is filiform and the apex was the area of major receptivity. 
The pollen and the néctar are the resources presented by the flower. 
The hummingbird pollinated the flowers in sporadic visits. Trigona 
fulviventris was the bee species that visited the flowers ofQ. amara 
searching for néctar. These bees were considered thieves and are 
characterized by presenting a destructive behavior in the flower. The 
morphologic analysis of the pollen grains revealed that these are 
médium, 3(-4)-colporate. punctate surface in the apocolpo and 
microreticulate in the mesocolpo. The floral biology demonstrated that 
this species presents a group of floral characteristics that turns it 
compatible with the ornithophilous pollination. However, despite the 
effective pollinator accomplished fast and sporadic visits the 
fructiflcation of Q. amara was not impeded. 
KEY WORDS: Floral biology, Pollen, Medicinal plants, Quassia amara. 
INTRODUÇÃO 
Estudos sobre o pólen e a biologia floral fazem parte dos 
conhecimentos básicos dos ecossistemas tropicais, mostrando-se 
importantes para o manejo c conservação dos recursos naturais, assim 
como procuram explicar as relações existentes entre as espécies c o 
ambiente em que elas ocoiTcm. Para a compreensão dessas relações, é 
necessário esclarecer como se dão os fenômenos entre as plantas e o 
seu meio e como estão interligados (Kagcyama 1987 ). Informações 
sobre a biologia floral baseadas cm características florais, como 
120 
