Seed dormancy in Campanulaceae: morphological and morphophysiological dormancy in six species of Hawaiian lobelioids

Botany ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 327-332
Author(s):  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Alvin Yoshinaga ◽  
Dustin Wolkis

We determined the requirements for dormancy break/germination and kind of dormancy in seeds of the Hawaiian lobelioids Cyanea kunthiana, Delissea rhytidoperma, Lobelia grayana, L. hypoleuca, Trematolobelia grandifolia, and T. singularis. Fresh seeds were incubated in light/dark at 15/6, 20/10, and 25/15 °C, and germination monitored at two-week intervals for 14 weeks. For each species, the mean embryo length (E): seed (S) length ratio was determined for freshly matured seeds and for seeds at the time the seed coat split but before radicle emergence (germination). The embryo in seeds of all six species incubated at 25/15 °C grew inside the seed prior to germination (42%–148% increase in E:S ratio, depending on species). Seeds of L. grayana and L. hypoleuca have morphological dormancy (MD); they germinated to 82%–98% at the three temperature regimes in 4 weeks. Seeds of the other species have nondeep simple morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) and require >4 weeks for maximum germination to occur. Our results add to the growing body of knowledge about the kind (class) of seed dormancy in Campanulaceae, which suggests that seeds of members of this family have either MD or MPD and embryos grow at warm (≥15 °C) temperatures.

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin

Studies were conducted to determine if small embryos (i.e. low embryo length:seed length ratio) in mature dwarf seeds (0.2–2 mm) are underdeveloped. In this case, they would grow (inside the seed) prior to germination, and seeds would have morphological or morphophysiological dormancy. Prior to radicle emergence, embryo length in seeds of Drosera anglica (Droseraceae), Campanula americana, Lobelia appendiculata, L. spicata (Campanulaceae) and Sabatia angularis (Gentianaceae) increased 0, 103, 182, 83 and 57%, respectively. Since embryo growth did not occur in seeds of D. anglica prior to germination, embryos, although small, are fully developed; seeds have only physiological dormancy. The underdeveloped embryo in seeds of C. americana has little or no physiological dormancy; thus, seeds have morphological dormancy. On the other hand, underdeveloped embryos in seeds of L. appendiculata, L. spicata and S. angularis are physiologically dormant, and seeds have morphophysiological dormancy. Therefore, since small embryos in dwarf seeds may or may not be underdeveloped, assignment of seeds to a dormancy class requires that studies be done to determine if embryos grow inside the seed before germination can occur. Such information is important in understanding the evolutionary relationship of the different kinds of seed dormancy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. e017
Author(s):  
Raquel Herranz-Ferrer ◽  
Miguel Ángel Copete-Carreño ◽  
José María Herranz-Sanz ◽  
Elena Copete-Carreño ◽  
Pablo Ferrandis-Gotor

Aim of the study: To study the germination ecology of two species of the genus Ribes to reveal their levels of morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) and to facilitate the production of plants from seeds, a key tool for population reinforcement.Area of study: Experiments were carried out both outdoors and in the laboratory in Albacete (Spain) with seeds from the Meridional Iberian System mountain range.Material and methods: Seeds from one population of Ribes alpinum and from other of Ribes uva-crispa were collected during several years. Embryo length, radicle and seedling emergence, and effects on germination of stratification and GA3 were analysed to determine the level of MPD.Main results: In R. alpinum, embryo length in fresh seeds was 0.49 mm, needing to grow to 1.30 mm to germinate. Warm stratification (25/10ºC) promoted embryo length enlargement to 0.97 mm. Afterwards, seeds germinated within a wide temperature range. Embryo growth and seedling emergence occur late summer-early autumn. In R. uva-crispa, embryo length in fresh seeds was 0.52 mm, being 2.10 mm the minimal size to germinate. Embryos exposed to a moderately warm stratification (20/7ºC + 15/4ºC) followed by cold (5ºC) grew to 2.30 mm. Then, seeds germinated ≥ 80% when incubated at temperatures ≥ 15/4ºC. Embryos grew in autumn/early winter, and seedlings emerged late winter-early spring.Research highlights: These results showed that R. alpinum seeds have a nondeep simple MPD while R. uva-crispa seeds have a nondeep complex MPD. Moreover, the different germinative models found for each species help explain their installation in distinct habitats.Keywords: Ribes; seed dormancy break; radicle emergence; seedling emergence; nondeep simple and nondeep complex MPD.Abbreviations used: Morphophysiological dormancy (MPD), morphological dormancy (MD), Gibberellic acid (GA3), months (m).


2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Ching-Te Chien ◽  
Shun-Ying Chen

The embryo length/seed length (E/S) ratio of the early diverging eudicot Trochodendron aralioides is 0.34. Embryos in fresh seeds were 0.36±0.01 mm long, and they increased in length by about 250% (in 20 d) before radicle emergence (germination) occurred, demonstrating that the embryo is underdeveloped at seed maturity. Seeds germinated to 95–100% at 20/10, 25/15 and 30/15°C in light in ≤4 weeks, without any pretreatment, but no seeds germinated in darkness. Thus, seeds of T. aralioides have morphological dormancy (MD), which is considered to be the primitive condition in seed plants, and MD probably has existed in the genus Trochodendron since its origin in the early Tertiary.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
José M. Herranz ◽  
Miguel Á. Copete ◽  
Pablo Ferrandis ◽  
Elena Copete

AbstractSeeds of Aconitum napellus subsp. castellanum were physiologically dormant at maturity in early autumn, with underdeveloped embryos. Thus they have morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). Embryos in fresh seeds were on average 1.01 mm long, and they had to grow to 3.60 mm before radicle emergence. Cold stratification at 5°C for 5 months with light enhanced the mean embryo length to 2.73 mm (SE = 0.13) and seed germination to 20%. However, with higher temperatures (15/4, 20/7, 25/10, 28/14 and 32/18°C) embryo growth was small, with no seeds germinating. Optimal germination was achieved after 4 months of cold stratification at 5°C followed by incubation at 20/7°C for 1 month with light, when germination ranged between 70 and 79%, depending on seed age, locality and year of collection. Cold stratification could be substituted by the application of GA3 solution, since mean embryo length in seeds incubated at 25/10°C for 1 month with light was 3.52 mm and the germination was 80%. Since cold stratification was the only requirement for the loss of MPD, the longest embryo growth occurred during this treatment, and GA3 promoted MPD loss, we concluded that A. napellus seeds have intermediate complex MPD. Germination was higher in 4-month stored than in freshly matured seeds. A pronounced variability in germinative patterns at inter-annual and inter-population level was recorded.


2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun-Ying Chen ◽  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Ching-Te Chien

AbstractAlthough it has been speculated that seeds of the gymnosperm family Podocarpaceae have an underdeveloped embryo, no detailed studies have been done to definitively answer this question. Our purpose was to determine if embryos in seeds of two species of Podocarpaceae, Podocarpus costalis and Nageia nagi, from Taiwan are underdeveloped and to examine the kind of dormancy the seeds have. Embryos in fresh seeds of P. costalis were 4.6 ± 0.5 mm long, and they increased in length by about 54% before radicle emergence (germination), demonstrating that the embryo is underdeveloped at seed maturity. Seeds germinated to >90% at 30/20, 25/15 and 25°C in light in ≤ 4 weeks, without any cold stratification pretreatment. Thus, seeds of P. costalis have morphological dormancy (MD). Embryos in fresh seeds of N. nagi were 7.4 ± 0.8 mm long and they increased in length by about 39% before radicle emergence (germination) occurred, indicating that the embryo is underdeveloped at seed maturity. Seeds germinated to < 25% at 30/20 and 25°C in light in 4 weeks but to >90% at the same temperatures in 12 weeks. Thus, most seeds of N. nagi have morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). Although underdeveloped embryos are considered to be a primitive condition in seed plants, they also occur in the most advanced orders. The occurrence of underdeveloped embryos in Podocarpaceae documents that they are not restricted to a basal clade in gymnosperms.


Botany ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danping Song ◽  
Ganesh K. Jaganathan ◽  
Yingying Han ◽  
Baolin Liu

There are several different opinions regarding dormancy in tea (Camellia sinensis L.), but there is no strong evidence available to conclude whether or not these seeds are dormant. Freshly matured tea seeds collected from Hangzhou, China, at the natural dispersal time did not germinate in light at daily alternative temperature regimes of 10/15, 15/20, 20/25, or 25/35 °C, or at a constant temperature of 25 °C. Seeds were permeable to water and the embryos did not grow prior to radicle emergence, thus, the seeds have no physical, morphological, or morphophysiological dormancy. When cold-stratified at 4 °C for 1, 2, and 3 months, 64%, 88%, and 93% of the seeds germinated, respectively. Intact fresh seeds failed to germinate after treatment with 0, 10, 500, and 1000 ppm GA3, whereas 3%, 4%, 61%, and 86% of cracked seeds germinated, respectively. Thus, the seeds have nondeep and intermediate physiological dormancy. Seeds cold-stratified for 2 months that were buried at soil depths of 0, 1, and 5 cm in pots showed that seeds at 1 cm depth established significantly higher number of seedlings (P < 0.05) than at other two depths. Because tea seeds are susceptible to summer temperature drying, these seeds do not establish a persistent seed bank.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Carol C. Baskin

Abstract This review provides a revised and expanded word-formula system of whole-seed primary dormancy classification that integrates the scheme of Nikolaeva with that of Baskin and Baskin. Notable changes include the following. (1) The number of named tiers (layers) in the classification hierarchy is increased from three to seven. (2) Formulae are provided for the known kinds of dormancy. (3) Seven subclasses of class morphological dormancy are designated: ‘dust seeds’ of mycoheterotrophs, holoparasites and autotrophs; diaspores of palms; and seeds with cryptogeal germination are new to the system. (4) Level non-deep physiological dormancy (PD) has been divided into two sublevels, each containing three types, and Type 6 is new to the system. (5) Subclass epicotyl PD with two levels, each with three types, has been added to class PD. (6) Level deep (regular) PD is divided into two types. (7) The simple and complex levels of class morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) have been expanded to 12 subclasses, 24 levels and 16 types. (8) Level non-deep simple epicotyl MPD with four types is added to the system. (9) Level deep simple regular epicotyl MPD is divided into four types. (10) Level deep simple double MPD is divided into two types. (11) Seeds with a water-impermeable seed coat in which the embryo-haustorium grows after germination (Canna) has been added to the class combinational dormancy. The hierarchical division of primary seed dormancy into many distinct categories highlights its great diversity and complexity at the whole-seed level, which can be expressed most accurately by dormancy formulae.


AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Copete ◽  
Miguel A Copete ◽  
Pablo Ferrandis ◽  
José M Herranz

Abstract Seed dormancy classes determine both population and species-level processes which can be crucial in the life cycle of many plants. However, there are no studies of a dormancy cline between levels of morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). We aimed to determine the class of seed dormancy of Narcissus yepesii exhibits in order to explore links between different dormancy levels, previously characterized in two closely related phylogenetic congeners, N. alcaracensis and N. longispathus. Experiments were carried out under both near-natural temperature and controlled laboratory conditions. The parameters calculated were mean embryo length, radicle and shoot emergence percentages. The effects of different periods of storage; and different periods with or without GA3 of warm, cold or warm plus cold were analysed. The Narcissus populations from the Baetic System of mountain ranges in south-eastern Spain show clinal variation in a northeast–southwest gradient from intermediate to non-deep complex MPD, through the coexistence of intermediate and non-deep complex MPD in N. yepesii (21 % and 74 %, respectively). In addition, 54 % of stored seeds were able to show both levels of MPD. Narcissus yepesii occupies an intermediate position between N. alcaracensis and N. longispathus in the geographical distribution and in the clinal germination ranges. It strongly suggests an evolutionary gradient, which connects the intermediate complex MPD with the non-deep complex MPD in southern Iberian daffodils. This is the first study showing a gradient in the evolution between levels of MPD. Our results demonstrate a cline in these levels in response to both an environmental gradient and genetic differences.


2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin

AbstractRudimentary, broad and small linear embryos occur among members of the most primitive (basal) extant angiosperms, collectively called the ANITA grade (i.e.Amborella,NymphaealesandAustrobaileyales).Amborella(rudimentary) andAustrobaileyales(rudimentary inAustrobaileyaceae,IlliciaceaeandSchisandraceaeand small linear inTrimeniaceae) have kinds of embryos that are known to be underdeveloped; consequently, they must grow inside the seed prior to radicle emergence (germination). On the other hand, it is not known if broad embryos need to grow before radicles can emerge, and whether they are underdeveloped or fully developed. Thus, we addressed the question: ‘Is the broad embryo ofNymphaealesalso underdeveloped?’. Although the embryo length : seed length ratios inNymphaeaAlbert Greenburg,N.capensisvar.zanzibariensisandN.immutabiliswere 0.311, 0.349 and 0.234, respectively, embryos did not grow prior to radicle emergence. Thus, they are fully developed at seed maturity. IfAmborellaandNymphaealesare equally the most basal angiosperms, as some molecular phylogenetic studies indicate, then we must conclude that the broad and rudimentary embryos are equally primitive.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Alvin Yoshinaga

AbstractThe Araliaceae is known to have seeds with underdeveloped embryos that must grow prior to radicle emergence, and thus they have morphological (MD) or morphophysiological (MPD) dormancy. Araliaceae is one of about 15 families with woody species in the tropical montane zone, and in Hawaii 15 species occur in the montane. Our purpose was to determine if seeds of the Hawaiian Araliaceae species Cheirodendron trigynum subsp. trigynum have MD or MPD and, if MPD, what level. In a move-along experiment, some seeds were incubated continuously at 15/6, 20/10 or 25/15°C, while others were moved sequentially from low to high or from high to low temperature regimes. Germination percentages and embryo growth were monitored. Also, the effects of cold and warm stratification on dormancy break were determined. Seeds had physiological dormancy (PD) in addition to small embryos that grew prior to germination, and thus MPD. PD was broken slowly ( ≥ 12 weeks), after which embryos grew rapidly, followed by root and shoot emergence. Embryos grew at temperatures suitable for warm stratification; thus, seeds have Type 1 non-deep simple MPD; the dormancy formula is C1bBb. Seeds from Oahu germinated to 94–100% at 15/6, 20/10 and 25/15°C, while those from the Big Island germinated to high percentages only at 15/6 and 20/10°C. Temperature shifts improved germination of seeds from the Big Island, and movement from either low to high or from high to low temperature regimes was effective in promoting germination. This is the first report of non-deep simple MPD in the Araliaceae.


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