Seed development in the rare cold desert sand dune shrub Eremosparton songoricum and a comparison with other papilionoid legumes

Hui Liang Liu, Buhailiqiemu Abudureheman, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Dao Yuan Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

No study has yet been carried out on seed development in a cold desert sand dune papilionoid legume. Thus, our primary aims were to (i) monitor seed development in the cold desert sand dune species Eremosparton songoricum from the time of pollination to seed maturity, and (ii) compare seed development in this species with that in other species of papilionoid legumes. Fruit and seed size, mass and seed moisture content, and seed imbibition, germination, desiccation tolerance and water retention during development (pollination to seed maturity) were monitored in the papilionaceous shrub E. songoricum in the Gurbantunggut Desert of northwest China. The duration of seed development was 40 days. Seeds reached physiological maturity 28 days after pollination (DAP), at which time 58% of them germinated and they had developed desiccation tolerance. Seeds became impermeable 36–40 DAP, when their moisture content was about 10%. The final stage of maturation drying occurred via loss of water through the hilum. The developmental stages and their timing (DAP) in seeds of E. songoricum are generally similar to those reported for other papilionaceous legumes with a water-impermeable seed coat (physical dormancy). In general, the developmental features of seeds with water-impermeable coats at maturity do not appear to be specific to habitat or phylogeny.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)169-177
Number of pages9
JournalPlant Species Biology
Volume31
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 The Society for the Study of Species Biology

Keywords

  • Eremosparton songoricum
  • cold desert
  • non-legumes
  • papilionoid legumes
  • physical dormancy
  • seed development

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology
  • Plant Science

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