Abstract
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana or Australian King Palm, is a very popular ornamental palm in Brazil. Although A. cunninghamiana is propagated by seeds, few studies have reported on seed germination of this species. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different temperatures and substrates on the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds. To carry out the temperature experiment, constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 or 35 °C and alternating temperatures of 20/30 °C or 25/35 °C were used with four replications of 25 seeds each. For the substrate experiment, sand, vermiculite, and sphagnum moss were used with 7 replicates of 25 seeds per treatment in a completely randomized design. All temperatures, except 35 °C, favored the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds (60%). Vermiculite was determined to be best suited for the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds. Overall, the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds is slow and uneven, in turn allowing for a longer period of germination.
Highlights
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana is popularly known as Australian King Palm for its native region of Queensland in easternAustralia (LUZ and PIVETTA, 2010)
This study aimed to evaluate the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds under different temperatures and substrates, due to the specie importance for landscape and floriculture and, nowadays as an important invasive species in tropical areas
Seed germination under different temperatures began on the sixth day at temperatures of 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, 20/30, and 25/35 °C, and on the ninth day at 20 °C
Summary
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana is popularly known as Australian King Palm for its native region of Queensland in easternAustralia (LUZ and PIVETTA, 2010). This species has a simple trunk 8 to 10 m high and 18 cm in diameter, cylindrical stipe, 2-3 m long pinnate leaves, white-colored, branched inflorescences when young and reddish spherical fruits (LORENZI, 2004). Studies have shown that different species of palms require different ranges of temperatures for germination, such as 35 °C for Thrinax parviflora (PIVETTA et al, 2005a), 25 to 30 °C for Phoenix roebelenii (IOSSI et al, 2003) and Rhapis excelsa (LUZ et al, 2008a), and 30 to 35 °C for Syagrus romanzoffiana (PIVETTA et al, 2005b). Studies have shown that different species of palms require different ranges of temperatures for germination, such as 35 °C for Thrinax parviflora (PIVETTA et al, 2005a), 25 to 30 °C for Phoenix roebelenii (IOSSI et al, 2003) and Rhapis excelsa (LUZ et al, 2008a), and 30 to 35 °C for Syagrus romanzoffiana (PIVETTA et al, 2005b). 20 to 30 °C for
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