PROMOTION OF GERMINATION OF STELLARIA MEDIA SEEDS BY LIGHT FROM A GREEN SAFE LAMP

Seeds of Stellaria media (L.) Cyrill. given short exposures to light from a green safe lamp transmitting most of its energy in the 500 to 600 nm region of the spectrum germinated to a high percentage in darkness. The possibility is discussed that the small amount of blue light (400 to 500 nm) or the relatively large amount of yellow‐orange light (550 to 600 nm) transmitted by the safe lamp, rather than green light (500 to 550 nm) per se, may have stimulated germination. However, green light previously has been shown to stimulate seeds to germinate, and great caution should be exercised in treating as dark controls, seeds that have been exposed to light from a green safe lamp.