Seed Germination - Reference - E. Walton

[George R Stilwell, Jr.]

Dear All

The poster abstract is as follows.  I was wrong about the authors!

SEED GERMINATION AND MORPHOGENESIS OF SEEDLING IN ARISAEMA
(Arisaema urashima (Hara), Arisaema serratum (Thunb) Schott &
Arisaema yamatense (Nakai)).

F. Miyamoto, M. Kubo, S. Suzuki, T. Ito & T. Takasu.

The seed germination and shape of the first year leaves is one
important characteristic for infrageneric classification of Genus
Arisaema.  Although typically the first leaf of A. urashima becomes
cataphyll without lamina in air, the pattern of development actually
varies with the environmental conditions.

To examine the effect of temperature, gibberellic acid (GA3) and
benzyl adenine (BA) on morphogenesis of seedlings, the seeds of A.
urashima, A. serratum and A. yamatense were cultivated in soil or in
MS agar medium with or without GA/BA under various temperatures.  The
seedlings were harvested at intervals, examined grossly and
histologically.

The seeds of A. yamatense germinate first amoung three, and the
foliage leaf with three leaflets developed within five weeks.  The
seeds of the latters germinated two weeks later, whereas no plumule
with lamina were observed within the first year.  However, at 10 to
20 C or in the presence of GA3 and BA, the first leaf after cotyledon
developed to foliage leaf with simple blade.  Thus, the shape of the
first leaf changes depending on environmental conditions.

____________

I guess we are all correct.  I suppose it just depends on how we grew
our seed.  I suspect it is an adaption for germination in autumn or
spring?

Hope this clarifies things a bit.

Eric Walton