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Testing the viability of seeds from old herbarium specimens for conservation purposes
Author(s) -
Godefroid Sandrine,
Van de Vyver Ann,
Stoffelen Piet,
Robbrecht Elmar,
Vanderborght Thierry
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.1002/tax.602022
Subject(s) - herbarium , germination , biology , flora (microbiology) , bupleurum , botany , taxon , medicine , genetics , alternative medicine , traditional chinese medicine , pathology , bacteria
Plant collections in herbaria are potentially valuable seed sources for conservation and recovery. This paper explores the feasibility of "resurrecting" 26 extinct taxa from the Belgian flora by analysing the viability of seeds from old herbarium specimens that had been stored for 23 to 158 years. Seed viability was estimated by performing germination tests according to standard procedures. Germination was achieved for eight seeds from three herbarium specimens of a single species, Bupleurum tenuissimum , aged 101, 125 and 144 years. Seed maturity, storage conditions and seed senescence were the main factors influencing the viability of the investigated seeds.