Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T04:57:36.374Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Germination ecology of the perennial Centaurium somedanum, a specialist species of mountain springs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2012

Eduardo Fernández-Pascual ,
Borja Jiménez-Alfaro ,
Ana I. García-Torrico ,
Félix Pérez-García  and
Tomás E. Díaz
Eduardo Fernández-Pascual*
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Atlántico, Universidad de Oviedo, Avda. del Jardín Botánico 2230, 33394 Gijón/Xixón, Spain
Borja Jiménez-Alfaro
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Atlántico, Universidad de Oviedo, Avda. del Jardín Botánico 2230, 33394 Gijón/Xixón, Spain
Ana I. García-Torrico
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Atlántico, Universidad de Oviedo, Avda. del Jardín Botánico 2230, 33394 Gijón/Xixón, Spain
Félix Pérez-García
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología Vegetal, EUIT Agrícola, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
Tomás E. Díaz
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Atlántico, Universidad de Oviedo, Avda. del Jardín Botánico 2230, 33394 Gijón/Xixón, Spain
*
*Correspondence Fax: +34 985130685 Email: eduardofp@indurot.uniovi.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

To improve understanding of how a rare endemic species of Centaurium adapts to a specialized ecological niche, we studied the germination ecology of the mountain spring specialist, C. somedanum, a perennial species restricted to an unusual habitat for this genus. We conducted laboratory experiments with fresh seeds collected from two populations for three consecutive years, to investigate: (1) the effect of temperature and light on germination; (2) the existence of seed dormancy; and (3) inter-population and inter-annual variation in germinability. Germination occurred only in the light and at relatively low temperatures (15–22°C) with no differences between constant and alternating regimes, and a significant decrease at high temperatures (25°C and 30°C). We found non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy and variation in seed germinability depending on the year of seed collection. C. somedanum diverged from the common germination characteristics of the genus in: (1) its germination at lower temperatures, which contrasts with what is generally expected in wetland species but could be adaptive in the spring habitat; and (2) its morphophysiological dormancy, which we report here for the first time in the genus and which could be an adaptation to its mountain habitat.

Keywords

CentauriumdormancyendemicGentianaceaegerminationspringswetlands
Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , September 2012 , pp. 199 - 205
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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

Andersson, L. and Milberg, P. (1998) Variation in seed dormancy among mother plants, populations and years of seed collection. Seed Science Research 8, 29–38.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. and Baskin, J.M. (2005) Underdeveloped embryos in dwarf seeds and implications for assignment to dormancy class. Seed Science Research 15, 357–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (2007) A revision of Martin's seed classification system, with particular reference to his dwarf-seed type. Seed Science Research 17, 11–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, J.M. and Baskin, C.C. (2004) A classification system for seed dormancy. Seed Science Research 14, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bouman, F., Cobb, L., Devente, N., Goethals, V., Maas, P.J.M. and Smets, E. (2002) The seeds of Gentianaceae. pp. 498–572 in Struwe, L.; Albert, V.A. (Eds) Gentianaceae: systematics and natural history. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Brys, R. and Jacquemyn, H. (2011) Variation in the functioning of autonomous self-pollination, pollinator services and floral traits in three Centaurium species. Annals of Botany 107, 917–925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cerabolini, B., Ceriani, R.M., Caccianiga, M., De Andreis, R. and Raimondi, B. (2003) Seed size, shape and persistence in soil: a test on Italian flora from Alps to Mediterranean coasts. Seed Science Research 13, 75–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doussi, M.A. and Thanos, C.A. (2002) Ecophysiology of seed germination in Mediterranean geophytes. 1. Muscari spp. Seed Science Research 12, 193–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Escudero, A., Carnes, L.F. and Pérez García, F. (1997) Seed germination of gypsophytes and gypsovags in semi-arid central Spain. Journal of Arid Environments 36, 487–497.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Favarger, C. (1953) Sur la germination des gentianes. Phyton 4, 275–289.Google Scholar
Fenner, M. (1991) The effects of the parent environment on seed germinability. Seed Science Research 1, 75–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giménez-Benavides, L., Escudero, A. and Pérez García, F. (2005) Seed germination of high mountain Mediterranean species: altitudinal, interpopulation and interannual variability. Ecological Research 20, 433–444.CrossRefGoogle 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
Jensen, S.R. and Schripsema, J. (2002) Chemotaxonomy and pharmacology of Gentianaceae. pp. 573–631 in Struwe, L.; Albert, V.A. (Eds) Gentianaceae: systematics and natural history. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Bueno Sánchez, Á. and Fernández Prieto, J.A. (2005) Ecología y conservación de Centaurium somedanum M. Laínz (Gentianaceae), planta endémica de la Cordillera Cantábrica (España). Pirineos 160, 45–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Fernández-Pascual, E. and García-Torrico, A.I. (2010) Centaurium somedanum M. Laínz. pp. 100–101 in Bañares, Á.; Blanca, G.; Güemes, J.; Moreno, J.C.; Ortiz, S. (Eds) Atlas y Libro Rojo de la Flora Vascular Amenazada de España, Adenda 2010. Madrid, Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza.Google Scholar
Mansion, G. (2004) A new classification of the polyphyletic genus Centaurium Hill (Chironiinae, Gentianaceae): description of the New World endemic Zeltnera, and reinstatement of Gyrandra Griseb. and Schenkia Griseb. Taxon 53, 719–740.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansion, G., Zeltner, L. and Bretagnolle, F. (2005) Phylogenetic patterns and polyploid evolution in the Mediterranean genus Centaurium (Gentianaceae – Chironieae). Taxon 54, 931–950.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, A.C. (1946) The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36, 513–660.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mijajlovic, N., Grubisic, D., Giba, Z. and Konjevic, R. (2005) The effect of plant growth regulators on centaury (Centaurium erythraea Rafn.) seed germination. Archives of Biological Sciences 57, 25–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milberg, P. (1994) Germination ecology of the polycarpic grassland perennials Primula veris and Trollius europaeus . Ecography 17, 3–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milberg, P., Andersson, L. and Thompson, K. (2000) Large-seeded species are less dependant on light for germination than small-seeded ones. Seed Science Research 10, 99–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Misic, D., Siler, B., Filipovic, B., Popovic, Z., Zivkovic, S., Cvetic, T. and Mijovic, A. (2009) Rapid in vitro selection of salt-tolerant genotypes of the potentially medicinal plant Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritsch. Archives of Biological Sciences 61, 57–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pons, T.L. (1991) Induction of dark dormancy in seeds: its importance for the seed bank in the soil. Functional Ecology 5, 669–675.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (2008) Seed information database (SID), Version 7.1 May 2008. Available at http://data.kew.org/sid/ (accessed November 2011).Google Scholar
Schat, H. (1983) Germination ecology of some dune slack pioneers. Acta Botanica Neerlandica 32, 203–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schütz, W. (2000) Ecology of seed dormancy and germination in sedges (Carex). Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 3, 67–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sefi, M., Fetoui, H., Lachkar, N., Tahraoui, A., Lyoussi, B., Boudawara, T. and Zeghal, N. (2011) Centaurium erythrea (Gentianaceae) leaf extract alleviates streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress and beta-cell damage in rat pancreas. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 135, 243–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, K. and Grime, J.P. (1983) A comparative study of germination responses to diurnally-fluctuating temperatures. Journal of Applied Ecology 20, 141–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, K., Band, S.R. and Hodgson, J.G. (1993) Seed size and shape predict persistence in soil. Functional Ecology 7, 236–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, K., Bakker, J. and Bekker, R. (1997) The soil seed banks of North West Europe: methodology, density and longevity. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Threadgill, P.F., Baskin, J.M. and Baskin, C.C. (1981) Dormancy in seeds of Frasera caroliniensis (Gentianaceae). American Journal of Botany 68, 80–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Todorovic, S., Giba, Z., Bacic, G., Nikolic, M. and Grubisic, D. (2008) High seed Mn content does not affect germination of in vitro produced Centaurium pulchellum seeds. Environmental and Experimental Botany 64, 322–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Todorovic, S., Giba, Z., Simonovic, A., Bozic, D., Banjanac, T. and Grubisic, D. (2009) Manganese effects on in vitro development of lesser centaury [Centaurium pulchellum (SW.) Druce]. Archives of Biological Sciences 61, 279–283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zivkovic, S., Devic, M., Filipovic, B., Giba, Z. and Grubisic, D. (2007) Effect of NaCl on seed germination in some Centaurium Hill. species (Gentianaceae). Archives of Biological Sciences 59, 227–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar