Abstract Detail

Ecological Section

Baskin, Carol C. [1], Baskin, Jerry M. [1], Yoshinaga, Alvin [2].

Seed dormancy classes in Hawaiian montane species.

Seed dormancy is being studied in species from the montane zone of Hawaii to (1) gain a better understanding of the world biogeography of seed dormancy, especially the tropical montane zone, and (2) facilitate propagation of plants for restoration and reintroduction projects. Using data from studies done on seed storage in Alvin Yoshinaga’s laboratory in Hawaii and those done on seed dormancy in the Baskin laboratory in Kentucky and information in the book by J. L. Culliney and B. P. Koebele (1999) entitled “A native Hawaiian Garden” (University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu), the class of dormancy (or in some species the presence of nondormancy) has been determined/inferred for 158 species from the montane zone in Hawaii: 10.8% (17 species) nondormant (ND); 8.2% (13) morphophysiological dormancy (MPD); 69.6% (110) physiological dormancy (PD); 8.2% (13) physical dormancy (PD); and 0.6% (1) combination of physical and physical dormancy (PY+PD). Worldwide, data now are available for a total of 317 species from the tropical montane: 23.3% (74 species) ND; 1.3% (4) morphological dormancy; 10.1% (32) MPD; 53.3% (169) PD; 11.7% (37) PY; and 0.3% (1) PY+PD. Fifty-two species from Hawaii have been studied in the Baskin laboratory: 3.8 % (2 species) ND; 7.7% (4) MPD; 73.1% (38) PD; 13.5% (7) PY; and 1.9% (1) PY+PD. In 20 of the 38 Hawaiian species whose seeds had PD, some seeds had germinated after 4 wk at high (25/15, 20/15 C) but not at low (20/10, 15/6 C) temperatures. In the other 18 species with PD, no germination had occurred after 4 wk at any temperature. After 6-12 wk of incubation, however, seeds of the 18 species began to germinate at one or more temperatures, and in a few species, e.g., Clermontia pyrularia, low temperatures were more favorable for germination than high temperatures.

1 - University of Kentucky, Department of Biology, 101 Morgan Bldg, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA
2 - University of Hawaii, Center for Conservation Research and Training, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

Keywords:
Hawaii
seed germination
tropical montane
seed dormancy.

Presentation Type: Paper
Session: 40-1
Location: Wasatch (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004
Time: 2:30 PM
Abstract ID:135