Article
Germination of bur buttercup seeds
Journal of Range Management
(1992)
Abstract
Bur buttercup (Ranunculus testicdatus Crantz) is an alien annual species that has spread rapidly through range and crop- lands in the western United States. This species is potentially poisonous and is currently a weed in cereal grainfields.We investigated the germination of the achenes (seeds). About 30% of the seeds of bur buttercup germinated without pretreatment, but only at cool to cold temperatures (maximum germination 28%at 5’ C). Germination was not enhanced by light, washing, or prechilling of seeds. Acid scarification for 25 minutes increased germination. Enrichment of the germination substrate with 0.289 mmol L1 gibberellic acid (GA3 and 0.01 mol L1 potassium nitrate (KNO,) synergistically enhanced the germination of acid scarified seeds. Incubation of seeds pretreated in this manner at 55 constant or alternating temperatures resulted in maximum germination of 70%. All temperature regimes with optimum germination (defined as not lower than the maximum observed and one-half its confidence interval at 0.01 level of probability) occurred at relatively cool temperatures. Temperatures above 30’ C greatly suppressed or inhibited germination. Embryonic plants dissected from the achene coats had 60% germination without additional pretreatment, but only at cool to cold incubation temperatures. The germination-dormancy requirements of bur buttercup seeds are obviously complex, but about 30%of the seeds appear adapted for germination at cold seedbed temperatures, which fits with the extreme ephemeral growth habit of the species.
Disciplines
Publication Date
1992
Citation Information
Neil E. West. "Germination of bur buttercup seeds" Journal of Range Management Vol. 45 (1992) p. 358 - 362 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/neil_west/148/