The market for tropical cut foliage is growing in Brazil, however the techniques involving the post-harvest process are
not well known. The aim of this research was to make physical characterization of three species of Chamaedorea (C.
costaricana Oerst., C. microspadix Burret, C. seifrizii Burret) and to test methods of post-harvest conservation for
them.
After the physical characterization of these foliages and during the process of senescence, it was verified that cut leaf
Chamaedorea evaluation parameters should be: brightness, loss of turgidity, and change of color of the foliages.
Tests with 24-hour immersion in pulsing solution, with sucrose (0, 2, 4 e 8%) and citric acid (200m gL-1) just showed
that this kind of solution does not have effect on these foliages. To avoid the loss of brightness and turgidity of the
foliages it was performed a test with spray of carnauba wax, however this treatment did not show effect. C.
costaricana and C. seifrizii should be stored at 5 0C by 10 days, but this temperature was not appropriate for C. microspadix The conclusion was that the three species can be used as ornamental cut foliage, because they show large post-harvest
durability when they are kept in fresh water.