DORMANCY AND GERMINATION OF SEEDS OF SILVERBERRY (ELAEAGNUS COMMUTATA BERNH.)

Abstract

Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata Bernh.) is of some importance as an ornamental shrub and in certain areas is a rangeland weed. Various germination tests over a 2-year period showed that unstratified seeds of this species, within intact endocarps, germinated 0 to 20% in 10 days, and 0 to 45% within 20 days, on moist filter paper in Petri dishes in the dark at 20 °C. After stratification of such seed in moist sand at 5 °C, for periods of 40 to 110 days, the germination percentages ranged from about 23% to 75% respectively. Removal of the endocarps, however, from unstratified seeds resulted in 85 to 100% germination within 10 days. A water-soluble extract from the endocarps retarded growth of wheat seedlings and of seedlings from naked silverberry seeds but did not reduce percentage germination. Self-controlled embryo dormancy is apparently not a major factor causing delayed germination of the silverberry.Supplementary tests involving heat treatments, or soaking of the unstratified fruits in gibberellin or KNO3 solutions, were without effect on germination of silverberry seed from within its endocarp.