Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T05:42:44.818Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal dormancy cycles in the biennial Torilis japonica (Apiaceae), a species with morphophysiological dormancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2008

Filip Vandelook ,
Nele Bolle  and
Jozef A. Van Assche
Filip Vandelook*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, K.U. Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
Nele Bolle
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, K.U. Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
Jozef A. Van Assche
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, K.U. Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
*
*Correspondence Fax: +32 16 321968 Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Torilis japonica (Apiaceae) has a widespread distribution, extending from western Europe to eastern Asia. In Europe, it usually behaves as a spring-germinating biennial species. Ripe seeds of T. japonica have an underdeveloped embryo and can persist in the soil for several years. The aim of this research was to reveal the mechanisms regulating the seasonal emergence pattern of seedlings. Experiments in a natural environment were performed to study phenology of seedling emergence and embryo growth. Seasonal changes in the dormancy status of T. japonica seeds were examined by regularly exhuming buried seeds and incubating them in controlled conditions. The action of temperature and light in regulating dormancy, embryo growth and germination was studied in the laboratory. Results showed that seeds of T. japonica have non-deep, simple morphophysiological dormancy (MPD), whereby physiological dormancy is broken by moist chilling (5°C). Once MPD was broken, embryo growth and subsequent germination started in spring, when appropriate temperature and light conditions were present. Seeds buried at a depth where light could not reach them showed cyclic changes in their dormancy status; embryo growth in these seeds could not be initiated because of the lack of a light stimulus. As far as we know, this is the first extensive study of seasonal dormancy cycles in a spring-germinating species of the Apiaceae. T. japonica occurs in a temperate climate with cool winters and warm, moist summers. In this climate, spring is often the most favourable season for seedling establishment.

Keywords

Apiaceaebiennialdormancy cyclingembryo growthgerminationTorilis japonica
Type
Research Opinion
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , September 2008 , pp. 161 - 171
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arthur, A.E., Gale, J.S. and Lawrence, M.J. (1973) Variation in wild populations of Papaver dubium. VII. Germination time. Heredity 30, 189–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (1998) Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Baskin, C.C., Meyer, S.E. and Baskin, J.M. (1995) Two types of morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of two genera (Osmorhiza and Erythronium) with an arcto-tertiary distribution pattern. American Journal of Botany 82, 293–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C., Baskin, J.M. and Chester, E.W. (1999) Seed dormancy in the wetland winter annual Ptilimnium nuttallii (Apiaceae). Wetlands 19, 359–364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C., Baskin, J.M. and Chester, E.W. (2001) Morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of Chamaelirium luteum, a long lived dioecious lily. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 128, 7–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C., Milberg, P., Andersson, L. and Baskin, J.M. (2002) Non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of the weedy facultative winter annual Papaver rhoeas. Weed Research 42, 194–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C., Hawkins, T.S. and Baskin, J.M. (2004) Ecological life cycle of Chaerophyllum procumbens variety shortii (Apiaceae), a winter annual of the North American eastern deciduous forest. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 131, 126–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, J.M. and Baskin, C.C. (1975) Ecophysiology of seed dormancy and germination in Torilis japonica in relation to its life-cycle strategy. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 102, 67–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, J.M. and Baskin, C.C. (1990a) Germination ecophysiology of seeds of the winter annual Chaerophyllum tainturieri – a new type of morphophysiological dormancy. Journal of Ecology 78, 993–1004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, J.M. and Baskin, C.C. (1990b) Seed germination ecology of poison hemlock, Conium maculatum. Canadian Journal of Botany 68, 2018–2024.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bouwmeester, H.J. and Karssen, C.M. (1993) Annual changes in dormancy and germination in seeds of Sisymbrium officinale (L) Scop. New Phytologist 124, 179–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cannon, J.F.M. (1968) Torilis. pp. 371–372in Tutin, T.G.; Heywood, V.H.; Burges, N.A.; Moore, D.M.; Valentine, D.H.; Walters, S.M.; Webb, D.A. (Eds) Flora Europaea. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Grime, J.P., Mason, G., Curtis, A.V., Rodman, J., Band, S.R., Mowforth, M.A.G., Neal, A.M. and Shaw, S. (1981) A comparative study of germination characteristics in a local flora. Journal of Ecology 69, 1017–1059.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grime, J.P., Hodgson, J.G. and Hunt, R. (1988) Comparative plant ecology. A functional approach to common British species. London, Unwin Hyman.Google Scholar
Hegi, G. (1975) Illustrierte Flora von Mittel-Europa. Dicotyledons. Munich, J.F. Lehmanns.Google Scholar
Hultén, E. and Fries, M. (1986) Atlas of North European vascular plants: north of the Tropic of Cancer I–III. Königstein, Koeltz Scientific Books.Google Scholar
Jacobsen, J.V. and Pressman, E. (1979) Structural study of germination in celery (Apium graveolens L.) seed with emphasis on endosperm breakdown. Planta 144, 241–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karssen, C.M. (1982) Seasonal patterns of dormancy in weed seeds. pp. 243–270in Khan, A.A. (Ed.) The physiology and biochemistry of seed development, dormancy and germination. Amsterdam, Elsevier Biomedical Press.Google Scholar
Lee, B.Y. and Downie, S.R. (2000) Phylogenetic analysis of CpDNA restriction sites and Rps16 intron sequences reveals relationships among Apiaceae tribes Caucalideae, Scandiceae and related taxa. Plant Systematics and Evolution 221, 35–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, B.Y., Levin, G.A. and Downie, S.R. (2001) Relationships within the spiny-fruited umbellifers (Scandiceae subtribes Daucinae and Torilidinae) as assessed by phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters. Systematic Botany 26, 622–642.Google Scholar
Lonchamp, J.P., Bourlier, M., Chadoeuf, R. and Barralis, G. (1988) Effets de l'enfouissement des semences d'Aethusa cynapium, Chenopodium album, Euphorbia exigua et Sinapis arvensis sur leur capacité germinative et leur levée au champ. Agronomie 8, 591–601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, A.C. (1946) The comparative internal morphology of seeds. American Midland Naturalist 36, 513–660.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, G. (1976) Some effects of temperature on the germination of native species, using temperature–gradient techniques. PhD Thesis, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.Google Scholar
Masuda, M. and Washitani, I. (1990) A comparative ecology of the seasonal schedules for reproduction by seeds in a moist tall grassland community. Functional Ecology 4, 169–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menglan, S., Fading, P., Zehui, P., Watson, M.F., Cannon, J.F.M., Holmes-Smith, I., Kljuykov, E.V., Phillippe, L.R. and Pimenov, M.G. (2005) Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). pp. 1–205in Wu, Zhengyi et al. (Eds). Flora of China, Vol. 14: Apiaceae-Ericaceae. St Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden Press.Google Scholar
Nikolaeva, M.G. (1977) Factors controlling the seed dormancy pattern. pp. 51–74in Khan, A.A. (Ed.) The physiology and biochemistry of seed dormancy and germination. Amsterdam, North-Holland.Google Scholar
Pressman, E., Negbi, M., Sachs, M. and Jacobsen, J.V. (1977) Varietal differences in light requirements for germination of celery (Apium graveolens L.) seeds and the effects of thermal and solute stress. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 4, 821–831.Google Scholar
Rees, M. (1994) Delayed germination of seeds – a look at the effects of adult longevity, the timing of reproduction, and population age/stage structure. American Naturalist 144, 43–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, H.A. (1979) Periodicity of seedling emergence and seed survival in some Umbelliferae. Journal of Applied Ecology 16, 195–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, H.A. and Boddrell, J.E. (1985) Temperature requirements for germination of buried seeds of Aethusa cynapium L. Weed Research 25, 267–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1997) Biometry. The principles and practice of statistics in biological research. New York, W.H. Freeman and Co.Google Scholar
Thompson, K. and Baster, K. (1992) Establishment from seed of selected Umbelliferae in unmanaged grassland. Functional Ecology 6, 346–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, K., Bakker, J.P. and Bekker, R.M. (1997) The soil seed banks of North West Europe: methodology, density and longevity. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Vandelook, F., Bolle, N. and Van Assche, J.A. (2007) Multiple environmental signals required for embryo growth and germination of seeds of Selinum carvifolia (L.) L. and Angelica sylvestris L. (Apiaceae). Seed Science Research 17, 283–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vegis, A. (1964) Dormancy in higher plants. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 15, 185–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vleeshouwers, L.M., Bouwmeester, H.J. and Karssen, C.M. (1995) Redefining seed dormancy: an attempt to integrate physiology and ecology. Journal of Ecology 83, 1031–1037.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walck, J.L., Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (1999) Seeds of Thalictrum mirabile (Ranunculaceae) require cold stratification for loss of nondeep simple morphophysiological dormancy. Canadian Journal of Botany 77, 1769–1776.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Washitani, I. and Masuda, M. (1990) A comparative study of the germination characteristics of seeds from a moist tall grassland community. Functional Ecology 4, 543–557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar