Comparative germination ecology and seedling growth of two Ibero-Levantine endemic species belonging to the Silene mollissima aggregate (Caryophyllaceae)

Murru, Valentina; Santo, Andrea; Gallo, Mario; Cardona, Carles; Boi, Marzia; Bacchetta, Gianluigi

doi:10.1016/j.flora.2016.12.002

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Temperature is a factor that can influence seed tolerance to salinity, and especially low temperatures can attenuate the negative effects of salt (El-Keblawy & Al-Shamsi 2008). From the eco-physiological viewpoint, the interaction between temperature and salinity may have important implications under field conditions, influencing germination timing (Ungar 1995;Murru et al 2016). Several researchers, who investigated the intraspecific variability in tolerance to salt for some species of coastal habitats (Baskin & Baskin 2014), demonstrated the influence of factors such as provenance, seed size, distance from the coastline, local adaptations and climate on intraspecific differences in salt stress response (Atia et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of NaCl stress on seed germination and seedling development of Brassica insularis Moris (Brassicaceae)

et al. 2017

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Brassica insularis is a protected plant that grows on both coastal and inland cliffs in the western Mediterranean Basin. The objective of this study was to test if any variability exists in the salt stress response during seed germination and seedling development in this species relative to its provenance habitat. Variability among three populations in the salt stress effects on seed germination and recovery under different temperatures was evaluated. The effect of nebulisation of a salt solution on seedling development was evaluated between populations growing at different distances from the sea. Seeds of B. insularis could germinate at NaCl concentrations up to 200 mm. Seed viability was negatively affected by salt, and recovery ability decreased with increasing temperature or salinity. Inter-population variability was detected in salt response during the seed germination phase, as well as in seedling salt spray tolerance. The inland population seedlings had drastically decreased survival and life span and failed to survive to the end of the experiment. In contrast, at least 90% of the coastal seedlings survived, even when sprayed at the highest frequency with salt solution. This study allowed investigation of two natural factors, soil salinity and marine aerosols, widely present in the B. insularis habitat, and provided the first insights into ecology of this protected species and its distribution in the Mediterranean. These results might be useful in understanding the actual distributions of other species with the same ecology that experience these same abiotic parameters.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of NaCl stress on seed germination and seedling development of Brassica insularis Moris (Brassicaceae)

et al. 2017

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“…Several studies observed that when salinity stress increases, germination of many species decreases, and the highest germination occurs when salts are absent in the substrate (Baskin & Baskin, ; Murru, Santo, Piazza, Hugot, & Bacchetta, ; Murru et al, ; Santo et al 2017; Ungar, ). Moreover, the tolerance limit for salt may vary greatly among species, being species specific (Baskin & Baskin, ; Santo et al , b; Ungar, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generally, the increasing temperature tends to amplify the already deleterious effect of salinity, with germination at high temperatures being considerably reduced with respect to lower ones (Baskin & Baskin, ; Murru et al, , ; Santo et al b, 2017). In our case, at the same salinity levels, we detected lower germination for the lowest tested temperature with respect to the highest one.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…See Table 1 for the explanation of the population codes 4.4 | NaCl and recovery of seed germination S. spinosum seeds germinated with NaCl in the substrate up to 250 mM, although the highest germination occurred under control conditions (0 mM NaCl) and decreased with increasing salinity and temperature, which highly influenced the germination of this species. Several studies observed that when salinity stress increases, germination of many species decreases, and the highest germination occurs when salts are absent in the substrate (Baskin & Baskin, 2014;Murru, Santo, Piazza, Hugot, & Bacchetta, 2015;Murru et al, 2016;Santo et al 2017;Ungar, 1995). Moreover, the tolerance limit for salt may vary greatly among species, being species specific (Baskin & Baskin, 2014;Santo et al 2014aa, b;Ungar, 1982).…”

Section: Light Temperature and Inter-population Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed germination ecology and salt stress response in eight Mediterranean populations of Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach

Santo

Dessì

Ucchesu

et al. 2019

Plant Species Biology

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This study aims to deepen the analysis of seed germination ecology and salinity tolerance of Sarcopoterium spinosum (Rosaceae). Germination tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of the fruit’s spongy tissue and the intraspecific variability in seed germination among eight populations of the species on responses to light and total darkness, constant and alternating temperatures, salt stress and germination recovery. The effect of the presence of the spongy tissue varied among populations, with significant results for seed germination. For all populations, optimum germination temperatures were observed in the range of 10–20°C, indicating that S. spinosum and its germination in the field might occur preferably in the period between autumn and early spring. The high water availability due to rainfall during this period could be a considerable advantage for the seed germination of this species. Seeds of S. spinosum showed the ability to germinate in up to 250 mM NaCl in the substrate, and their ability to recover after salt exposure may be interpreted as adaptation to the coastal habitats in which they generally grow. These results give this species a halo‐tolerant character. Great inter‐population variability is detected in this study in several aspects, which indicated that the Mediterranean populations of S. spinosum differ considerably and are adapted to their local conditions. This study provides new information about S. spinosum seed ecology, which could help to preserve and apply effective conservation measures for this species, which in several areas of its distribution range is endangered.

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“…In harsh habitats such as deserts, most plant species have evolved particular adaptive characteristics, such as variation in seed size and colour, the presence of special dispersal structures, and strategies that help them to survive under such harsh environmental conditions (Minissale et al 2011, El-Keblawy et al 2013, Murru et al 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does perianth colour affect the seed germination of two desert shrubs under different storage periods and conditions?

Bhatt

Santo

2018

Nordic Journal of Botany

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Haloxylon salicornicum and Salsola vermiculata (Amaranthaceae) are two perennial shrubs producing fruits with differently coloured perianths (yellow vs pink) on separate individuals. To test the impact of different storage periods (four, eight and twelve months) and temperature conditions (freezing, room temperature and natural field temperatures) on the seed germination of the two seed categories, germination tests were carried out on both species. For both species, collected from wild plants in the Arabian desert (Qatar), seed germination was tested under two photoperiods (light 12/12; dark 24 hours) at 20/30°C for winged (intact) and de‐winged seeds. For each species, all the considered factors (perianth colour, wing presence, photoperiod, storage period and storage conditions) had significant effects on seed germination (p < 0.001), while the interactions among factors varied in their level of significance depending on the species. In both species, yellow seeds germinated considerably better than the pink ones, the presence of wings slowed the germination, and both storage period and temperature conditions highly influenced their germination ability. Our results indicate that seeds from different perianth colours have different germination strategies to delay their germination and distribute the species through time by escaping germination time by imposing some kind of after‐ripening or seed dormancy. The variation in storage time and storage conditions might help in extending their germination period, where one set of seeds germinate immediately, and the other set of seeds becomes dormant and thus contributes to the formation of a soil seed bank for the long‐term recruitment of seedlings. This study highlights an ecological advantageous strategy for these two species growing in the unpredictable desert habitat.

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Comparative germination ecology and seedling growth of two Ibero-Levantine endemic species belonging to the Silene mollissima aggregate (Caryophyllaceae)

Cited by 16 publications

References 31 publications

Effects of NaCl stress on seed germination and seedling development of Brassica insularis Moris (Brassicaceae)

Effects of NaCl stress on seed germination and seedling development of Brassica insularis Moris (Brassicaceae)

Seed germination ecology and salt stress response in eight Mediterranean populations of Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach

Does perianth colour affect the seed germination of two desert shrubs under different storage periods and conditions?

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