Seed dormancy and germination characteristics of the endangered species Cicuta virosa L. in South Korea

Manglietia crassipes, a critically endangered species narrowly distributed on Mount Dayao in Guangxi, China, is also a species of ornamental interest whose variability has not been explored. Key factors leading to its endangerment have also not been studied. Here, two experiments were conducted to test the effects of different plant growth regulators and different storage conditions on germination characteristics of M. crassipes seeds. Fruit morphology was measured, and germination characteristics of fresh mature seeds were tested in order to assess natural seed vigor. Seeds were soaked in distilled water (control), or gibberellic acid (GA3), 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) or indoleacetic acid (IAA) solutions of different concentrations, for 48 h to determine their effects on seed germination. In addition, the effects of different seed storage conditions (constant 4 °C, −7 °C, −20 °C, or 25 °C for 100 days, wet stratification at 4 °C for 100 days) on seed germination were investigated. Results showed that the abortive rate of the mature fruits was high (28.9%) and fresh natural seeds had a low germination rate (G) and germination index (GI). Seed germination was inhibited with 6-BA at all concentrations, but only at less than 100 m·L−1 IAA; otherwise, IAA slightly promoted seed germination. GA3 broke seed dormancy and significantly accelerated seed germination by improving G, GI and initial germination time (IGT), especially over 2500 mg·L−1. The viability of seeds declined no matter how they were stored. However, 4 °C wet stratification storage was preferable for seed vigor and germination power. Our results suggest that the high abortive rate of fruits, low germination of the natural seed, seed dormancy and its intolerance to storage, contributed to the endangerment of M. crassipes. GA3 can break M. crassipes seed dormancy, which can be a benefit for future ornamental breeding and further protection or conservation.

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Seed dormancy and germination characteristics ofGaura parviflora, an exotic weed species in China

Acta Ecologica Sinica ◽

10.5846/stxb201303150425 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 34 (24) ◽

Author(s):

刘龙昌 LIU Longchang ◽

徐蕾 XU Lei ◽

冯佩 FENG Pei ◽

董雷鸣 DONG Leiming ◽

张媛媛 ZHANG Yuanyuan

Keyword(s):

Seed Dormancy ◽

Weed Species ◽

Germination Characteristics ◽

Seed Dormancy And Germination

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Seed dormancy and germination in Rhexia mariana var. interior (Melastomataceae) and eco-evolutionary implications

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b98-223 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 77 (4) ◽

pp. 488-493 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Carol C Baskin ◽

Jerry M Baskin ◽

Edward W Chester

Keyword(s):

Seed Dormancy ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Eastern North America ◽

Temperate Region ◽

High Germination ◽

Germination Characteristics ◽

Physiological Dormancy ◽

Plant Families ◽

Dormancy Cycles ◽

Seed Dormancy And Germination

Ninety-seven percent of the Rhexia mariana L. seeds collected in Tennessee were physiologically dormant at maturity in autumn, and they became nondormant during stratification. Light was required for germination, and seeds germinated to higher percentages on filter paper than on sand. Seeds buried in soil in October 1992 and 1994 and exposed to natural seasonal temperatures were exhumed and tested for germination at monthly or bimonthly intervals for 30 and 32 months, respectively. Seeds gained the ability to germinate to 80% or more at 30:15 and 35:20°C during the first winter of burial and also at 25:15°C during the second winter, but they did not re-enter dormancy. In contrast, seeds incubated at 20:10°C exhibited an annual cycle of moderate to high germination percentages in winter-spring and low germination percentages in summer-autumn. Thus, germination can occur at habitat temperatures in Tennessee from April to September. This is the first report of physiological dormancy in seeds of the Melastomataceae in the temperate region. Like members of many plant families in temperate eastern North America, seeds of R. mariana (i) show a decrease in the minimum temperature for germination as they come out of dormancy and (ii) exhibit some seasonal variation in the temperature range for germination. Thus, these dormancy or germination characteristics appear to be adaptations of species to the climatic conditions in temperate eastern North America.Key words: seed dormancy, seed germination, dormancy cycles, buried seeds, Melastomataceae, Rhexia.

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Seed dormancy and germination inVitis amurensisand its variation

Seed Science Research ◽

10.1017/s0960258511000225 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 255-265 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

W.Q. Wang ◽

S.Q. Song ◽

S.H. Li ◽

Y.Y. Gan ◽

J.H. Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Dormancy ◽

Vitis Amurensis ◽

Dormancy Release ◽

Temperature Dependent ◽

Seed Moisture Content ◽

Seed Moisture ◽

Germination Characteristics ◽

Species Similarity ◽

Germination Behaviour ◽

Seed Dormancy And Germination

AbstractThere is little information about seed dormancy release and germination behaviour inVitis amurensis, which is one of the most important wildVitisspecies. This work aimed to investigate the dormancy release and germination characteristics and their variation inV. amurensisseed. Seed dormancy was released by: (1) stratification at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 15/5°C, respectively; (2) stratification at 25°C followed by stratification at 5°C; (3) 5°C stratification before or after seed drying; and (4) stratification at a series of relative humidities (RHs) at 5 and 25°C. The freshly harvested and dormancy-released seeds were germinated at three fluctuating and four constant temperatures. InV. amurensis: (1) dormancy release could occur at temperature ≤ 25°C, but was maximal at 5°C for all varieties; (2) dormancy release and induction occurred simultaneously during stratification; (3) the rates of dormancy release and induction were dependent on temperature; (4) seed moisture content affected dormancy release with a temperature-dependent pattern; (5) seeds germinated better at fluctuating temperature than at constant temperature. However, the optimum condition for stratification and germination, the rates of dormancy release and induction, and the response of seeds to warm stratification, to drying and to germination temperature varied significantly among theV. amurensisvarieties. Our data imply that seed dormancy and germination inV. amurensisnot only have intra-species similarity, but also vary within species, which may be due to differences in environmental conditions at the original growth and cultivated sites.

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