RESEARCH ON SEED GERMINATION STIMULATION AT PAULOWNIA TOMENTOSA THUNB. STEUD.

Abstract

Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Sieb. & Zucc. Ex Steud. (syn. P. Imperialis Sieb. & Zucc.), is a native species to China, popularly being called “Princess Tree”. In Romania, the species is sensitive to the early frosts, which cause frostbite of non-lignified stems. Unprotected trees can be destroyed to ground level, but recover vigorously from shoots. Paulownia tomentosa is an invasive species introduced to the US from China as an ornamental and landscape tree in the mid-1800s. The family name derives from its genus Paulownia Siebold & Zucc., 1835 whose name was given in honour of the Danish princess Anna Paulowna or Pavlovna (1795-1865), the consort of King William II of the Netherlands and the daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia (Gledhill, D., 2008). The aim of the research was to speed up the germination of Paulownia tomentosa seeds with Nitrozyme (based upon a highly concentrated and purified extract of marine kelp) in different concentrations: 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 0.9%. The germination capacity of the seeds decreases from the moment of dispersal even in optimal conditions of storage in the laboratory. In the case of treated seeds with 0.1% Nitrozyme the values of height and diameter of the seedling increased slightly.