Document Detail


Underdeveloped embryos and germination in Aristolochia galeata seeds.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21134093     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Process    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Aristolochiaceae have been described as having seeds with underdeveloped embryos and morphological or morphophysiological dormancy. Aristolochia galeata is a native climber found in the Cerrado biome, associated with road and gallery forest edges. The aims of this study were to investigate: embryo growth rate, morphology and seed germination parameters under different treatments. Embryos were excised to obtain embryo length at four stages: initial, seeds after coat rupture, radicle tip protrusion and cotyledon emergence from the seed coat. Germination tests were conducted at 30 °C under three nitrate concentrations (1, 10 and 20 mM), fluctuating temperature (27/20 °C) and light and dark conditions. We found that seeds have underdeveloped embryos, which take about 301 ± 178 h (±SD) to achieve seed coat rupture, another 205 ± 126 h to reach radicle protrusion and 176 ± 76 h more to the final stage of cotyledon emergence. Germinability was above 52% in all treatments, except in the dark (15%). For all treatments, average germination time was above 290 ± 123 h. Potassium nitrate increased germinability to >87%. No particular treatment was required for embryo development, but seeds in the population that continued to germinate after 1 month were probably in various states of non-deep, simple morphophysiological dormancy. Increased germinability in nitrate treatments and light requirement for germination could prevent germination under unsuitable environmental conditions and be a strategy to increase seedling establishment in the cerrado.
Authors:
D Alves-Da-Silva; F Borghetti; K Thompson; H Pritchard; J P Grime
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Plant biology (Stuttgart, Germany)     Volume:  13 Suppl 1     ISSN:  1438-8677     ISO Abbreviation:  Plant Biol (Stuttg)     Publication Date:  2011 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-12-07     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101148926     Medline TA:  Plant Biol (Stuttg)     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  104-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
© 2010 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília (DF), Brazil.
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