Abstract
ABSTRACT Th e eff ects of alternating and constant temperatures and light regimes, osmotic and salt stress and pH were tested on seed germination in four populations of Eryngium caeruleum . Laboratory experiments revealed that the four populations exhibited diff erent responses to alternating temperature and light conditions. Alternating temperature and photoperiod had a greater positive eff ect on seed germination compared to complete darkness. Th e optimal constant temperature within 10 oC to 15 oC for seed germination of each population was determined in a light/dark photoperiod. Seed germination severely decreased under water stress and was completely inhibited at -0.8 MPa osmotic potential. Saline stress sharply decreased germination percentage. Germination was restricted by pH lower and higher than 5 and 8, respectively. Th e information obtained from this study helps to fi ll the gap of knowledge about seed germination requirements of E. caeruleum and enhance our understanding of this species distribution and its potential to develop in stressful and/or new habitats.
Highlights
The distribution of plant species among habitats is determined by a wide range of climatic and edaphic factors
The results show darkness is a limiting factor for seed germination of all populations, while photoperiod is an important factor for the enhancement of seed germination
The optimum alternating temperature for germination of E. caeruleum was 25/15 oC in a light/ dark regime, and the optimum constant temperature was 10-15 oC, in a light/dark regime. These data show that successful germination of E. caeruleum may be limited to temperate climates
Summary
The distribution of plant species among habitats is determined by a wide range of climatic and edaphic factors. Ecotypes are populations of a particular species that are evolutionally adapted to specific environmental conditions. These ecotypes, or populations that occurring in distinct habitats, vary from one another in morphological traits such as shape, size, or leaf color (Krawczyk & Krawczyk 2000), as well as traits related to seed germination. Temperature is known to be one of the most influential environmental factors for seed germination (Finch-Savage & Leubner-Metzger 2006). Temperature is related to germination through altering levels of gibberellins and abscisic acid in the seed (FinchSavage & Leubner-Metzger 2006). Soil pH is an edaphic factor that can influence the distribution of plants, and some plant species germinate in a wide pH range (Yazdi et al 2013; Rezvani & Yazdi 2013), while for others it can be a limiting factor (Amini et al 2015)
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