PHENOLOGY OF Trichocline catharinensis Cabrera IN AN AREA OF ALTITUDE FIELDS, URUPEMA, SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

Resumo

The high-altitude fields in Santa Catarina are endowed with a great richness of species with economic potential, such as Trichocline catharinensis Cabrera (Asteraceae), popularly known as "cravo-do-campo" (field carnation), a herbaceous species that occurs naturally in southern Brazil. In order to indicate its ornamental potential, the study aimed to monitor the phenology of the species in a native field area, in the Alto-Montane Mixed Ombrophilous Forest, with altitudes ranging from 1450 to 1750 meters, located within the Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPNE) Complexo Serra da Farofa, at Fazenda das Nascentes, Urupema, SC. For 13 months (from April 2015 to April 2016), 15 specimens of T. catharinensis were monitored biweekly. Vegetative and reproductive phenophases were recorded regarding activity index, presence (1) and absence (0) of phenophases, and their synchrony was subsequently estimated. The species is evergreen with annual leaf renewal; once in every month evaluated, the species showed budding and leaf senescence. All specimens had flowering and fruiting records, with flowering starting in January, with a peak of floral buds and anthesis in February and March, respectively, and fruiting from March to July, with synchronous flowering. Correlations were recorded only for the phenophases of budding and floral buds with maximum and minimum temperatures. The wide flowering period may be a positive factor for its ornamental potential, as it presents dark green foliage and showy yellow capitula.