Dormancy, germination, and associated seed ecological traits of 25 Fabaceae species from northern India.

Abstract

Fabaceae produce seeds with water-impermeable seed coats, i.e., physical dormancy (PY). We hypothesized that the proportion of PY seeds will increase with the dryness of the habitat, and some key seed ecological traits will be strongly associated with different levels of PY. Fresh seed of 25 Fabaceae species collected in northern India were used for imbibition and germination experiments to determine the proportion of seeds with PY and of nondormant (ND) seeds compared to their Sri Lankan congeners. Seed coat:seed mass ratio (SCR), 1000 seed weight, seed shape index (SSI), embryo type and median germination time of ND seeds were determined. Four imbibition and germination patterns were identified among seeds of the studied species. Seeds collected from Indian populations had a higher proportion of PY seeds than those of Sri Lankan populations. We identified a type of embryo called 'spatulate axile' that had not been identified before among the studied species. Species with ND seeds had a lower SCR and a higher SSI than those with PY. Our hypothesis was confirmed since populations from drier habitats in India produce a higher proportion of PY seeds than those from Sri Lanka. A low SCR ensures minimal resistance to germinating seeds, while seeds with a high SSI have a lower tendency to incorporate into the soil seed bank. Thus, these seed traits aid the fast germination of ND seeds, often dispersed just before the rainy season.