Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > BT > BT09232
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 58(4)

Germination and storage behaviour of seeds of the subtropical evergreen tree Daphniphyllum glaucescens (Daphniphyllaceae)

Ching-Te Chien A , Jerry M. Baskin B , Carol C. Baskin B C and Shun-Ying Chen A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Division of Silviculture, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, 53 Nan-Hai Road, Taipei 10066, Taiwan.

B Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0225, USA.

C Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0312, USA.

D Corresponding author. Email: sychen@tfri.gov.tw

Australian Journal of Botany 58(4) 294-299 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT09232
Submitted: 10 December 2009  Accepted: 23 March 2010   Published: 22 June 2010

Abstract

Daphniphyllum glaucescens Blume ssp. oldhamii (Hemsl.) Huang is an important subtropical evergreen tree in Taiwan. Seeds of D. glaucescens have non-deep, simple, epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy, and a minimum of 10–12 weeks is required for the first step of seedling production, i.e. hypocotyl emergence. It is not known how to decrease the time for seedling production and how to store seeds for retention of viability. We determined the effects of (i) gibberellic acid and cold-stratification on germination (hypocotyl emergence) and (ii) storage temperature and seed moisture content (MC) on germinability. Exogenous application of GA3 and of GA4 promoted germination and increased the germination rate. Moist cold-stratification at 5°C also promoted germination; the longer the stratification period, the faster the rate of germination. More than 70% of seeds (fresh seeds, MC = 37.6%) dried to an MC of 6.4%, 8.5% and 25.5% (fresh weight basis) retained germinability after a 1-month storage at 5°C, whereas germination percentage decreased to 0–2% after a 12-month storage at the same temperature. Germination percentage of seeds dried to the same MC and stored at 15°C decreased to 0% after 8 months, whereas seeds stored at −20°C did not germinate even after just 1 month of storage. The present evidence suggests that seeds of D. glaucescens have intermediate rather than orthodox or recalcitrant storage behaviour.


Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant (NSC 97-2313-B-054-003-MY3) from the National Science Council, Taiwan, and a grant from the Council of Agriculture, the Executive Yuan, Taiwan (Project No. MM9806-2261). We thank Chang-Yen Chen, Wen-Yu Hsu, Ta-Yuan Chien, Yen-Wei Chang and Kai-Chun Yang for technical assistance.


References


Baskin CC , Baskin JM (1998) ‘Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination.’ (Academic Press: San Diego, CA)

Baskin CC, Chien CT, Chen SY, Baskin JM (2009) Epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of Daphniphyllum glaucescens, a woody member of the Saxifragales. International Journal of Plant Sciences 170, 174–181.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Berjak P , Pammenter NW (2002) Orthodox and recalcitrant seeds. In ‘Tropical tree seed manual’. (Ed. JA Vozzo) pp. 137–147. Agricultural handbook 721. (USDA Forest Service: Washington, DC)

Bewley JD , Black M (1994) ‘Seeds. Physiology of development and germination.’ 2nd edn. (Plenum Press: New York)

Chen SY, Chien CT, Chung JD, Yang YS, Kuo SR (2007) Dormancy-break and germination in seeds of Prunus campanulata (Rosaceae): role of covering layers and changes in concentration of abscisic acid and gibberellins. Seed Science Research 17, 21–32.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Chen SY, Kuo SR, Chien CT (2008) Roles of gibberellins and abscisic acid in dormancy and germination of red bayberry (Myrica rubra) seeds. Tree Physiology 28, 1431–1439.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Chien CT, Kuo-Huang LL, Lin TP (1998) Changes in ultrastructure and abscisic acid level, and response to applied gibberellins in Taxus mairei seeds treated with warm and cold stratification. Annals of Botany 81, 41–47.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Chien CT, Chen SY, Chang SH, Chung JD (2006) Dormancy and germination in seeds of the medicinal Asian tree species Phellodendron amurense var. wilsonii (Rutaceae). Seed Science and Technology 34, 561–571. open url image1

Ellis RH, Hong TD, Roberts EH (1990) An intermediate category of seed storage behaviour? I. Coffee. Journal of Experimental Botany 41, 1167–1174.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Ellis RH, Hong TD, Roberts EH (1991) An intermediate category of seed storage behaviour? II. Effects of provenance, immaturity and imbibition on desiccation-tolerance in coffee. Journal of Experimental Botany 42, 653–657.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Farrant JM, Pammenter NW, Berjak P (1988) Recalcitrance – a current assessment. Seed Science and Technology 16, 155–166. open url image1

Gamez EJC, Luyengi L, Lee SK, Zhu LF, Zhou BN, Fong HHS, Pezzuto JM, Kinghorn AD (1998) Antioxidant flavonoid glycosides from Daphniphyllum calycinum. Journal of Natural Products 61, 706–708.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Hong TD , Ellis RH (1996) ‘A protocol to determine seed storage behaviour.’ (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute: Rome)

Huang TC (1993) Daphniphyllaceae. In ‘Flora of Taiwan, vol. 3’. 2nd edn. (Eds Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan) pp. 505–509. (Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan: Taipei, Taiwan)

International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) (1999) International rules for seed testing. Seed Science and Technology 27(Suppl.), 47–50. open url image1

Kobayashi J, Takatsu H, Shen YC, Morita H (2003) Daphniglaucins A and B, novel polycyclic quaternary alkaloids from Daphniphyllum glaucescens. Organic Letters 5, 1733–1736.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Kucera B, Cohn MA, Leubner-Metzger G (2005) Plant hormone interactions during seed dormancy release and germination. Seed Science Research 15, 281–307.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Li CS, Di YT, Mu SZ, He HP, Zhang Q, Fang X, Zhang Y, Li SL, Lu Y, Gong YQ, Hao XJ (2008) Daphniphyllum and diterpenoid alkaloids from Daphniphyllum longeracemosum. Journal of Natural Products 71, 1202–1206.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Liou CY, Su HJ, Tseng YH (2006) Vegetation classification system of the Machilus–Castanopsis zone in the central-west climatic region of Taiwan. Endemic Species Research [In Chinese, with English abstract and English caption to the one table and to the one figure] 8, 53–85. open url image1

Loveys BR, Jusaitis M (1994) Stimulation of germination of Quandong (Santalum acuminatum) and other Australian native plant seeds. Australian Journal of Botany 42, 565–574.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Mabberley DJ (1997) ‘The plant-book. A portable dictionary of the vascular plants.’ 2nd edn. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)

Morita H, Kobayashi J (2003) Calyciphyllines A and B, two novel hexacyclic alkaloids from Daphniphyllum calycinum. Organic Letters 5, 2895–2898.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Morita H , Kobayashi J (2008) Daphniphyllum alkaloids: structures, biogenesis, and activities. In ‘Modern alkaloids: structure, isolation, synthesis and biology’. (Eds E Fattorusso, O Taglialatela-Scafati) pp. 541–589. (Wiley-VCH: Weinheim, Germany)

Morita H, Ishioka N, Takatsu H, Iizuka T, Kobayashi J (2006) Daphmanidins E and F, alkaloids from Daphniphyllum teijsmannii. Journal of Natural Products 69, 418–420.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Mu SZ, Wang Y, He HP, Yang XW, Wang YH, Di YT, Lu Y, Chang Y, Hao XJ (2006) Daphnioldhanins A–C, alkaloids from Daphniphyllum oldhamii. Journal of Natural Products 69, 1065–1069.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Mu SZ, Yang XW, Di YT, He HP, Wang Y, Wang YH, Li L, Hao XJ (2007) Secophnane-type alkaloids from Daphniphyllum oldhamii. Chemistry & Biodiversity 4, 129–138.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Naylor REL (1981) An evaluation of various germination indices for predicting differences in seed vigour in Italian ryegrass. Seed Science and Technology 9, 593–600. open url image1

Nicolás C, Nicolás G, Rodríguez D (1996) Antagonistic effects of abscisic acid and gibberellic acid on the breaking of dormancy of Fagus sylvatica seeds. Physiologia Plantarum 96, 244–250.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Roberts EH (1973) Predicting the storage life of seeds. Seed Science and Technology 1, 499–514. open url image1

Sánchez-Coronado ME, Coates R, Castro-Colina L, Gamboa de Buen A, Paez-Valencia J, Barradas VL, Huante P, Orozco-Segovia A (2007) Improving seed germination and seedling growth of Omphalea oleifera (Euphorbiaceae) for restoration projects in tropical rain forests. Forest Ecology and Management 243, 144–155.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

The Editorial Committee of the Administration Bureau of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1998) ‘Chinese materia medica [Zhonghua Benchao], vol. 4.’ (Shanghai Science and Technology Press: Shanghai, China)

Wang H (2000) Daphniphyllum Blume. In ‘Seeds of woody plants in China’. (Eds The National Service Center for State-Owned Forest Farms and Forest Seed and Seedling Affairs of the Forestry Ministry) pp. 448–450. (China Forestry Publishing House: Beijing, China) [In Chinese]

Wang XN, Gan LS, Fan CQ, Yin S, Yue JM (2007) Alkaloids from the fruits of Daphniphyllum macropodum. Helvetica Chimica Acta 90, 2156–2162.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Yahata H, Kubota T, Kobayashi J (2009) Calyciphyllines N–P, alkaloids from Daphniphyllum calycinum. Journal of Natural Products 72, 148–151.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1