Initial growth of sambacaitá (Hyptis pectinata L.)

Abstract

Sambacaitá (Hyptis pectinata L.), Lamiaceae, is a perennial shrub with an important medicinal value in the Northeast region of Brazil. The study of the propagation and the initial growth of the plants are so important that the transplanted is done at the appropriate time, favoring the development of the plants on the ground. This work aimed to evaluate the initial growth of H. pectinata seedlings during the days of the transplant. We used a completely random design with the treatments: days after the transplant (15; 22; 29 and 36), with four replicates of 10 plants each. The assay was held in the Seeds Laboratory/CCA/UFC, in Fortaleza-CE, in September and October 2004. The seedlings were planted in polyester trays and kept in the greenhouse with continuous nebulization and timer. The analyzed variable: height of the plant, leaves number, length and width of the foliar limb, weight of the dry substance of the aerial part, the root and total, and the relation of the weight of the dry substance of the aerial part/root. We concluded that the period of 22 to 29 days is the best time to take the H. pectinata seedlings to the field, ocurring from this time the growth of the plants.