Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crop of nutritional and economic importance worldwide, cultivated in more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries including Ecuador, where it is traditionally cultivated in the three continental regions: Amazonia, the Coast and in the valleys of the Sierra. The purpose of this study is to characterize 195 accessions from INIAP’s Ecuadorian cassava collection through (1) morphological characterization with qualitative and quantitative descriptors; and (2) ecogeographic characterization to know the climatic, geophysical, and edaphic conditions in which cassava grows and which environments are frequent or marginal for its cultivation. For the morphological characterization, 27 morphological descriptors were used (18 qualitative and nine quantitative), and for the ecogeographic characterization, 55 variables (41 climatic, two geophysical and 12 edaphic). Four morphological groups and three ecogeographic groups were identified. Morphological variability was evidenced mainly in descriptors related to the leaves, stems, and inflorescences. In addition, it was possible to identify accessions that appear capable of growing under extreme conditions of drought and poor soils. These accessions could be used for improvement.

The Passifloraceae family is one of the most representative in tropical America, with food, pharmaceutical, and ornamental importance. This study evaluated seed morphometry and germination of eight accessions of four Passiflora edible species, P. edulis; P. ligularis; P. quadrangularis; and P. tripartita var. mollissima, by studying accessions conserved several years in the gene bank (−15 °C) and recently collected accessions. Four experimental phases were carried out as follows: (1) morphometric characterization of seeds with qualitative and quantitative variables; (2) evaluation of germination under two thermal regimes (20 °C/30 °C and 25 °C); (3) application of six pre-germination treatments to overcome dormancy; and (4) tetrazolium tests. In phase 1, P. quadrangularis stood out for its unique morphological characteristics according to multivariate analysis. In phase 2, the alternating thermal regime (20 °C/30 °C) promoted the highest germination. In phase 3, the germination response was specific to each species: mechanical scarification in P. edulis (85.7%), KNO₃ (0.5%) in P. ligularis (35.7%), control in P. quadrangularis (71.1%), and gibberellic acid (GA₃ 400 ppm) in P. tripartita (71.4%). The tetrazolium phase 4 identified the viability status of the seeds. It is concluded that the differences in morphometry and germination reflect the intrinsic characteristics of each species, highlighting the importance of specific protocols for their germination. This study provides tools to optimize the conservation and regeneration of Passiflora spp. germplasm under ex situ conditions, as a genetic base to be utilized in the future.