Megjelent
cikkünk a Cseh Botanikai Társaság Preslia című folyóiratában, a tekert csüdfű (Astragalus contortuplicatus)
herbáriumban tárolt magjainak hosszú távú csíraképességéről.
A
közlemény letölthető innen.
Abstract
Long-term seed viability is of crucial importance for
short-lived species, since persistent seed banks can buffer the fluctuations in
the establishment of plants from year to year. Temporarily flooded habitats are
an unpredictable environment for plants, and for some species the only chance
they have of surviving is the formation of persistent seed banks. Astragalus
contortuplicatus is an
annual species of periodically flooded habitats and is considered an endangered
species in Hungary. Altogether 1993 seeds of this species were tested in a
germination experiment: 1200 were freshly harvested and 793 were collected from
herbarium specimens of various ages. Seed viability was tested using the
germination method. The freshly harvested seeds were used for selecting the
best out of seven frequently used dormancy-breaking methods for this species.
The highest percentage of germination was recorded for the combined treatment
of scarification and light. Thus, this method was used to test the viability of
the seeds collected from herbarium specimens. The oldest seeds that germinated were
131 years old. Until now there are no records of seeds of herbaceous legumes
germinating that are more than 100 years old. This record is the 9th oldest of
all the literature records of viable seeds originating from biological
collections. All the seeds that germinated developed into healthy, fertile
plants, the seeds of which also readily germinated. Fitted linear regression
showed a significant negative relationship between seed age and percentage
germination. Based on this linear regression the calculated theoretical maximum
viability is 309 years. Our results suggest that seeds of A.
contortuplicatus stored
in collections can be successfully used in this species’ reintroduction for
conservation purpose, to areas in which the plants were collected.
 |
| Fig. 2. – (A) Herbarium specimen of Astragalus
contortuplicatus collected
by Borbas in 1883 near Bačka Palanka (‘Palanka’) and its offspring, (B) seeds,
(C–D) germinating seeds in Petri-dish, (E-F) transplanted seedlings, (G) detail
of a flowering and fruiting specimen, (H) flowering specimens. Photo: A. Molnar
V. |
Hivatkozás:
Molnár
V. A., Sonkoly J., Lovas-Kiss A., Fekete R., Takács A., Somlyay L. & Török
P. (2015): Seed of the threatened
annual legume, Astragalus
contortuplicatus, can survive over 130
years of dry storage. – Preslia 87(3): 319–328.
