VARIATION IN AVERAGE SEED SIZE AND FRUIT SEEDINESS IN A FRUIT CROP OF A GUANACASTE TREE (LEGUMINOSAE: ENTEROLOBIUM CYCLOCARPUM)

Abstract

A detailed examination of the ordinary 1980 fruit crop of an ordinary large adult guanacaste tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica (1980) shows that for fruits with about 6-16 seeds (range, 1-18 seeds per fruit) there is about 1 g dry weight fruit tissue per seed (seeds averaging about 820 m each). Fruits that have about 1-5 seeds on average have 1.5-3 times as much dry fruit tissue per seed as do the seed-rich fruits, and also contain seeds that weigh about 8% more on average than the seeds in the seed-rich fruits. The average seed weight per fruit was found to decrease slightly if all sizes of fruits are considered, but to remain essentially constant over the range of 7-16-seeded fruits. This category contained 78% of the fruits. These findings suggest that different parts of the seed crop may end up in different dispersers and dispersers with different preferences for fruit seediness and tolerances for seed size may remove different portions of the seed crop.