Studies on morphometric traits and effect of presowing treatments in seeds of Mimusops elengi L.

Abstract

Mimusops elengi L., (bullet wood) belongs to the family Sapotaceae and is a native tree species of Western Ghats, India. It is well known for its fruit, and fodder and is grown as an ornamental tree. Various parts of the tree are utilized in traditional medicinal practices. In this species, seed germination is rather difficult without pre-seed treatment. Hence, the present study was taken up to analyze the seed morphometric traits namely, seed length, seed width, and seed weight, and also to find the effect of different pre-sowing treatments on seed germination by following standard procedures. The study was conducted at the College of Forestry, Ponnampet, Kodagu district, Karnataka. The average length, width, and thickness of the seeds were 18.09 mm, 12.02 mm, and 6.33 mm, respectively. The maximum seed germination was observed in cold water treatment for 24 hours (34.44%) followed by GA3 500 ppm (30%) and the minimum was observed in hot water treatment (1.1%). Although the germination was poor in this species, treating the seeds of Mimusops elangi with cold water for a day increases the germination by 34.4 percent.