Dormancy-breaking and germination requirements for seeds of Acacia papyrocarpa, Acacia oswaldii and Senna artemisioides ssp. × coriacea, three Australian arid-zone Fabaceae species
Leanne M. Pound A B C E , Phillip J. Ainsley A B D and José M. Facelli A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A The University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
B Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
C Present address: Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, 115 Maryvale Road, Athelstone, SA 5076, Australia.
D Present Address: Zoos South Australia, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: leanne.rosser@sa.gov.au
Australian Journal of Botany 62(7) 546-557 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT14077
Submitted: 22 April 2014 Accepted: 8 October 2014 Published: 19 February 2015
Abstract
Physical dormancy is common in seeds of arid-land legumes. Improved understanding of germination requirements of hard-seeded species will further our understanding of arid lands and aid restoration projects. We studied the germination responses of Acacia papyrocarpa (Benth.), A. oswaldii (F.Muell) and Senna artemisioides (Gaudich. ex DC.) Randell ssp. × coriacea (Benth.) Randell from a chenopod shrubland in South Australia. Imbibition testing indicated that all three species had physical dormancy, but the proportion of dormant seeds was lower in A. oswaldii. This corresponded to a thinner testa in this species. Mechanisms tested to scarify seeds included mechanical scarification and different durations of wet or dry heat. Mechanically scarified seeds germinated readily, reaching maximum numbers in 10–15 days, independently of incubation temperatures, with the exception of S. artemisioides seeds, which germinated at a slower rate in cooler temperatures. Overall, wet heat was more effective than dry heat to alleviate physical dormancy, whereas dry heat in some cases resulted in seed mortality. On the basis of these results, it is recommended that seeds of A. papyrocarpa and S. artemisoides be pretreated with wet heat in future restoration programs. No pre-treatment is required for dormancy loss in A. oswaldii seeds. The different responses of seeds of these species suggest that their populations have varying strategies for persistence in this unpredictable environment.
Additional keywords: arid-land restoration, chenopod shrubland, physical dormancy.
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