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The 120‐yr period for Dr. Beal's seed viability experiment
Author(s) -
Telewski Frank W.,
Zeevaart Jan A. D.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.3732/ajb.89.8.1285
Subject(s) - germination , biology , botany , horticulture , agronomy
After 120 yr of burial in moist, well‐aerated sand, 23 seeds of Verbascum blattaria and two seeds of a Verbascum sp. germinated and produced normal plants (50% germination for Verbascum ). After a 6‐wk cold treatment, a single seed of Malva rotundifolia germinated also, producing a normal plant (2% germination). Plants were grown to maturity in a greenhouse, and flowering was induced by exposure to a 6‐wk cold treatment. Flowers were artificially pollinated to produce seed of both Verbascum blattaria and Malva rotundifolia . The Verbascum sp. failed to set seed. Collected seeds were subsequently germinated, producing normal plants. F 1 seeds of V. blattaria had a germination of 64%. Seeds (6%) of M. rotundifolia germinated after a cold treatment.