5.1.2. Botanical Aspects

*G. americana* is a tree with terrestrial, adventitious roots, aerial and erect stem of trunk and circular type and sympodial growth. Leaves are simple, petiolate, with opposite phyllotaxis with obovate, elliptical-obovate or oblanceolate shape, acuminated limb apex, cuneiform base and smooth margin, with gland trichomes on the abaxial epidermis and pinnate venation [120,135].

Flowering occurs between October and December; inflorescences are dichasium with about 16 flowers, which are hermaphroditic, white to yellowish in color, aromatic, pedunculated, pentamera, with bilocular ovary. Fruits are subglobous, polyspermic, indehiscent berries, with brown color when ripe and thin pericarp. Maturation usually occurs between the months of May and August [136,137].

Seeds have ovoid shape, flat, with rigid seed coat and dark brown in color and orthodox, that is, unlike recalcitrant seeds, the degree of humidity does not imply loss of viability and are resistant to low temperatures, so drying of seeds up to 10% does not compromise their germination [137,138].
