PJB-2018-1653
Embryo development and desiccation tolerance of Hepatica nobilis Schreb. seeds
Bożena Szewczyk-taranek, Monika Bieniasz, Monika Cioć and Bożena Pawłowska
Abstract
Hepatica nobilis seeds exhibit deep morpho-physiological dormancy and contain undeveloped embryo at the time of dispersal. The objective of our study was to investigate the development of H. nobilis embryo in relation to the natural vegetation season in Poland, and to test the sensitivity of seeds to desiccation. Achenes were harvested on May 20, 2011, at the time of natural dispersal, and were sown immediately. Our observations, with the use of paraffin sectioning method, revealed that at the moment of seed dispersal, embryos was in the globular phase. Five weeks after sowing they developed into the early torpedo stage (mid‑June). Then, during the summer, embryo growth slowed down and cotyledons continued their expansion in the endosperm during the hot season. From mid‑October, radicals started to grow and emerge from the seeds, but did not fully germinate before winter. Germination of H. nobilis seeds was observed in the spring in week 43 after sowing. In the second experiment, the seeds were desiccated under laminar air flow for 0 (control) to 9 h to estimate the influence of the seed water content on germination. Fresh seeds contained 62% of water and germinated in 73%. The seeds dried for 7.5 and 9 hours contained 34-32% of water and did not germinate. Hepatica seeds are sensitive to dehydration and are not a suitable plant material for storage in gene banks.
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