Germination responses of the subtropical annual halophyte Zygophyllum simplex
1997
Khan, M.A. | Ungar, I.A. (Ohio Univ., Athens (USA). Department of Environmental and Plant Biology)
Seeds of the succulent annual halophyte Zygophyllum simplex germinate after rainfall during July or August. Zygophyllum simplex L. is one of the few annual halophytes found in subtropical salt marshes and deserts. It has a life span of about 80 days. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of NaCl and thermoperiods on the germination of seeds and their recovery responses after being transferred to distilled water. Cooler temperatures significantly inhibited germination at all treatments and the highest temperature also caused some inhibition. Zygophyllum simplex seeds are moderately tolerant to NaCl concentrations at the germination stage of development. Highest germination percentages in all salinity treatments were obtained at a moderate (15-25 deg C) thermoperiod. Few seed germinated at concentrations higher than 100 mM NaCl treatment. When seeds were transferred to distilled water, after 20 days of salinity treatment and at various thermoperiods, there was some recovery. Recovery ranged from 0 to about 20 % germination at extreme thermoperiods for seeds that were germinated at high salinity concentrations
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