Germination Responses of <i>Opuntia</i> spp. to Temperature, Scarification, and Other Seed Treatments

Potter, Robert; Petersen, Joseph L.; Ueckert, Darrell Ν.

doi:10.1017/s0043174500058598

Cited by 50 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…Other Opuntia species reported by Pilcher (1970), such as O. lindheimeri and O. phaeacantha var. discata, O. edwardsii and O. discata reported by Potter et al (1984) showed an increased germination after washing or soaking the seeds for different periods of time. For O. rastrera, mechanical scarification was not effective in increasing germination, which coincides with the evidence provided by Pendley (2001) for other Opuntia species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In some cases (e.g. Pilcher, 1970;Potter et al, 1984;Pendley, 2001), germination rates are higher after storage, while in other cases (Pilcher, 1970;Olvera-Carrillo, 2003) -Carrillo et al, 2003), O. rastrera seeds did not show an increase in germination percentage after soaking the seeds, probably because this species does not possess water-soluble inhibitors in the testa. Other Opuntia species reported by Pilcher (1970), such as O. lindheimeri and O. phaeacantha var.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, seed dormancy has been thought to have evolved in response to unpredictable environments, leading to the existence of soil seed banks (Evans and Cabin, 1995). In Opuntia there are species which possess morphological (i.e., hard seed coats) (Potter et al, 1984;OlveraCarrillo et al, 2003) and/or physiological (i.e., after-ripening) dormancy (Potter et al, 1984;Mandujano et al, 1997;Pendley, 2001). For example, the response of germination rates to storage varies between Opuntia species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Germination tests were performed in Petri dishes with 1% agar in distilled water and incubated in a growth chamber (CONVIRON Model I-18L, Winnipeg, Canada) Treatments for species studied by Potter et al (1984) show where maximum germination was obtained. All cited studies reported that germination in control seeds is lower than 20%.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, seeds of O. imbricata germinated at a higher percentage when sown 1 year after their harvest (Pilcher, 1970). Potter et al (1984) found that seeds of O. edwardsii and O. lindheimeri germinated best when stored for 1 year suggesting an after-ripening period. Also, Pendley (2001) affirms that some Opuntia species, specifically O. phaeacantha var.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Breaking seed dormancy in Opuntia rastrera from the Chihuahuan desert

Mandujano

Montaña

Rojas-Aréchiga

2005

Journal of Arid Environments

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Breaking seed dormancy in Opuntia rastrera from the Chihuahuan desert

Mandujano

Montaña

Rojas-Aréchiga

2005

Journal of Arid Environments

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Seed hydration memory in Sonoran Desert cacti and its ecological implication

Dubrovsky¹

1996

American J of Botany

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Cactus seeds on the soil surface in the desert are subjected to periods of drought that last for up to a few months, and thus they are typically under discontinuous hydration (or discontinuous dehydration). Apparently, they can tolerate long periods of dehydration after single or multiple hydration events and subsequently germinate in accordance with the previous hydration experience. This was verified in three cactus species from the Sonoran Desert. Seeds of Stenocereus thurberi hydrated for 72 or 80 h followed by a dehydration period lasting for 4, 14, 70, 120 or 181 d germinated 2–3 d earlier and had 1.4–2 times shorter mean germination time (MGT) than untreated seeds. Seeds given shorter hydration periods also began to germinate sooner than the controls. MGT was shorter only when the hydration period was 48 h or longer. Final germination percentages were not affected by these treatments, only the MGT. Except for differences in germination percentages, similar results were found for Pachycereus pecten‐aboriginum and Ferocactus peninsulae. When the cycle of 24 h hydration followed by 4 d dehydration was repeated one or two times, the effect was cumulative: MGT was equal to 48 and 72 h hydration, respectively. These results suggest a phenomenon of “seed hydration memory,” the ability of seeds to retain during dehydration periods those physiological changes that result from seed hydration. Thus, treated seeds subsequently germinated earlier then untreated seeds, regardless of the duration of dehydration period. This led to a greater biomass accumulation and thus to higher survival in seedlings from treated than from untreated seeds.

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Reproductive ecology and inbreeding depression in Opuntia rastrera (Cactaceae) in the Chihuahuan Desert: Why are sexually derived recruitments so rare?

Mandujano

Montaña

Eguiarte

1996

American J of Botany

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We evaluated the influence of the reproductive ecology on low recruitment of sexually derived progeny observed in Opuntia rastrera Weber in the Southern Chihuahuan Desert, in two vegetation types. The flowers are diurnal, remaining open 9–10 hr. Pollen is released in the morning and at the same time the stigmas become receptive. Nectar is produced all day, but the production rate is higher at noon. The flowers are visited by insects, mainly solitary bees (Diadasia sp. and Lithurge sp.). Floral characteristics and the pollen/ovule ratio suggest that Opuntia rastrera is a facultative xenogamous species. Controlled pollinations indicate that it is not apomictic and pollinators are required to set fruit; it is also self‐compatible, but there is strong inbreeding depression for fruit set. However, we were unable to demonstrate differences in reproductive characters between the populations in both vegetation types. The average density of adults per hectare was one order of magnitude higher in the nopalera (Opuntia‐dominated scrublands) than in the grassland. However, the average density of plants that originated from seeds was one order of magnitude lower in the nopalera. Opuntia rastrera produces abundant flowers, fruits, and seeds in both vegetation types in natural conditions. The low success in the recruitment of new genets cannot be ascribed to the reproductive ecology.

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Germination Responses of Opuntia spp. to Temperature, Scarification, and Other Seed Treatments

Cited by 50 publications

References 2 publications

Breaking seed dormancy in Opuntia rastrera from the Chihuahuan desert

Breaking seed dormancy in Opuntia rastrera from the Chihuahuan desert

Seed hydration memory in Sonoran Desert cacti and its ecological implication

Reproductive ecology and inbreeding depression in Opuntia rastrera (Cactaceae) in the Chihuahuan Desert: Why are sexually derived recruitments so rare?

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