Morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) is predominantly found in seeds of temperate regions and is uncommon in arid biomes. MPD has been reported in a number of Hibbertia (Dilleniaceae) species of temperate Australia, and in a single species of the arid zone, H. glaberrima. This study aimed to examine the dormancy and germination ecology of seeds of H. glaberrima. Seeds were subjected to temperature stratification treatments designed to mimic summer and autumn conditions in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Seed germination and embryo growth were measured. We also tested the interaction between temperature stratification and cycles of drying and wetting designed to mimic sporadic rainfall events. All temperature and moisture treatments were tested in combination (+/–) with the smoke-derived chemical karrikinolide (KAR1). Exposing dormant seeds to temperatures suitable for warm stratification (35°C) for ≥ 8 weeks, followed by incubation at 25°C, resulted in significantly higher germination compared with non-stratified seeds. Exposing seeds to dry/wet cycling in conjunction with temperature stratification did not significantly increase germination. Exposure to KAR1 increased germination under most conditions. Once seeds are shed during October to December, they are exposed to hot and sporadically wet conditions over summer, allowing MPD to be overcome in a proportion of the seed population. Seeds may germinate in autumn (March to April), in conjunction with cooler temperatures. More deeply dormant individuals may require more than one summer to overcome dormancy. Similar to other species occurring in fire-prone ecosystems, fire also plays a crucial role in the germination ecology of H. glaberrima.

A UK seed conservation collection of Anemone nemorosa L. seeds held at the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) showed low viability in its first post-storage test. Because achenes of A. nemorosa are naturally dispersed when they are green, we tested the hypothesis that seeds may not be fully desiccation tolerant and storable at the time of natural dispersal, and that a post-harvest treatment could increase the proportion of desiccation-tolerant seeds. Achenes harvested at the point of natural dispersal in late May in 2003 and 2004 were either placed immediately on 1% water agar at 20°C (‘laboratory’ treatment), or placed in nylon sachets and buried in leaf litter among plants growing in the wild (‘field’ treatment). Samples were withdrawn at intervals over a period of 168 d and tested for desiccation tolerance (drying to 0.059 g H2O (g DW)− 1) and longevity (controlled ageing at 60% relative humidity and 45°C). An initial increase, followed by a decline, in the proportion of seeds surviving desiccation and in the longevity of both laboratory- and field-treated samples coincided with the development of embryos from globular to heart- and then torpedo-shaped. Developmental arrest was not required for the acquisition of desiccation tolerance, and continued growth and development of the embryo resulted in a loss of desiccation tolerance, similar to that seen in orthodox seeds upon radicle emergence. Furthermore, while A. nemorosa seeds, like many from the Ranunculaceae family, might be described as having morphological or morphophysiological dormancy, this lack of developmental arrest does not fit with the usual concept of dormancy. The implications of these results for the classification systems of seed-storage behaviour and dormancy, and for the long-term conservation of seeds of A. nemorosa, are discussed.