Saba senegalensis fruits provide an important subsistence and income source for people in West African Sahelian areas. However, the increasing pressure on ecosystems is causing substantial damage to plants, which could result in a serious threat to the species. It is therefore crucial to develop successful strategies for its conservation. This study aims to assess the influence of fruit morphology and provenances on seed germination of S. senegalensis in Burkina Faso. One thousand and two hundred mature fruits were collected from populations of four provenances (National Park Kaboré Tambi (NPKT), Gonsé, Kua, and Denderesso) across two climatic zones of Burkina Faso. Fruits shape was described and a hierarchical classification were used to group them into morphotypes with similar traits. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used for seed germination. Germination time and rate were calculated and analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effect models. The results showed that the fruit traits vary significantly (p < 0.05) according to provenance. The fruit size was higher in the National Park Kaboré Tambi (NPKT) and Gonsé populations (sudano-Sahelian zone) than in the Kua and Denderesso populations (Sudanian zone). The results reveal four morphotypes of S. senegalensis fruits, with morphotype 4 containing individuals with large fruits. The seed germination time and rate varied significantly among morphotypes and provenances (p < 0.05). Morphotype 4 seedlings have the highest germination rates (65.24%) with a rapid germination time (18 days). The germination rates were high for seeds from the population of National Park Kaboré Tambi (NPKT) (69.00%) with a rapid germination time (18 days). The population of National Park Kaboré Tambi (NPKT) and the morphotype 4 could be a potential candidate for domestication programs of S. senegalensis with regards to the interesting size of its fruits for use and its high reproduction performance by seeds.

Domestication programs, Fruit traits, Plant morphotypes, Saba senegalensis, Seed germination traits