Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 17:00:08 -0000 From: "Steve Alton" <S.Alton@rbgkew.org.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg540$foo@default> Subject: Drosophyllum
Folks,
I have conducted another germination trial, even less scientific than
the one for N. madagascariensis! Using 24 seeds of D. lusitanicum
(thanks, John!), I set up 4 replicates of 6 seeds each. The
treatments were:
Scarified
Scarified, gibberellic acid (GA3)
Non-scarified
Non-scarified, GA3
Scarification was carried out by cutting a thin (THIN!) slice off one
side of the seed with a scalpel - it's useful to have a high-powered
binocular microscope for this! GA3 was applied as a 24-hour pre-
soak.
And the results?
Well, pretty inconclusive. First germination went to scarified, GA3,
as you may expect, but scarified, non-GA3 soon caught up. The
only noticeable difference was that the scarified seeds germinated
a week or so earlier than the non-scarified. GA3 seemed to have
little effect.
Between 3 and 5 seeds germinated in each replicate. The main
problem has been post-germination mortality - most of the
germinated seedlings have subsequently croaked. The ones that
have survived always looked like they were going to - very much
more vigorous. The biggest survivor is now about 2cm high and
covered in drops of mucilage.
The substrate for germination was perlite/vermiculite/sharp sand,
with a _very_ small amount of peat mixed into the top layer, then
dressed with a couple of mm of sand. The seed tray was in an
unheated propagator on a south-facing kitchen windowsill at about
20C.
I have yet to scientifically test John Wilden's suggestion of applied
swearing as a germination promoter...;-)
Steve Alton
UK Co-ordinator - Millennium Seed Bank
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Wakehurst Place
Tel: 01444 894079
Fax: 01444 894069
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