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Using size-class structure to monitor growth of underdeveloped embryos in seeds of three Aristolochia species: implications for seed ecology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Christopher A. Adams
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA
Jerry M. Baskin
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA
Carol C. Baskin*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
*
*Correspondence Fax: +1-859-257-1717 Email: ccbask0@uky.edu

Abstract

Size-class structure was used to monitor the growth of underdeveloped embryos in two seed cohorts of Aristolochia macrophylla, A. tomentosa and A. californica and the results are related briefly to differences in seed dormancy among and within the three species. The size-class method of presenting embryo growth data allows more insight to be gained into the embryo-level cause(s) of seed dormancy than does the cumulative growth curve. This appears to be the first report on use of size-class structure to monitor growth of underdeveloped embryos.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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