Hostname: page-component-857557d7f7-ktsnh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-12-04T18:54:42.982Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Swartzia langsdorffii Raddi: morphophysiological traits of a recalcitrant seed dispersed during the dry season

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

Tatiana A.A. Vaz ,
Antonio C. Davide ,
Ailton G. Rodrigues-Junior ,
Adriana T. Nakamura ,
Olívia A.O. Tonetti  and
Edvaldo A.A. da Silva
Tatiana A.A. Vaz*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Sementes Florestais, Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Caixa Postal 3037, 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
Antonio C. Davide
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Sementes Florestais, Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Caixa Postal 3037, 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
Ailton G. Rodrigues-Junior
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Caixa Postal 486, 30161-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Adriana T. Nakamura
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Caixa Postal 37, 38500-000, Monte Carmelo, MG, Brazil
Olívia A.O. Tonetti
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Sementes Florestais, Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Caixa Postal 3037, 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
Edvaldo A.A. da Silva
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Sementes, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 18603-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
*
*Correspondence E-mail: tatiana.arantes@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Swartzia langsdorffii seeds have recalcitrant characteristics. Nonetheless, dispersal begins in the month with the lowest precipitation in the studied region, which could lead to seed death by desiccation. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the physiological behaviour of S. langsdorffii seeds related to their desiccation sensitivity/tolerance; and (2) to assess the morphophysiological characteristics that enable the seeds to remain viable after dispersal. Fruits and seeds were subjected to biometric evaluation and the anatomical and ultrastructural features of the seeds were determined. Field assessments were performed to determine the capacity of the seeds to maintain viability and to verify the relation between seed viability, diaspore water content and environmental variables. Seeds of this species were found to be recalcitrant and showed pores distributed throughout the seed coat, and contained a large number of stomata in the hypocotyl–radicle axis epidermis. Moreover, phenolic compounds were found throughout the radicle region. Seeds remained viable in the soil for up to 7 months after dispersal without a significant decrease in water content, despite the low precipitation and soil water content. Radicle protrusion began 5 months after dispersal and coincided with partial fruit decomposition at the beginning of the rainy season. Thus, the possible microclimate created by the pericarp, with the moisture content of the aril and the soil, the presence of the structures in the axis, such as the pores and stomata, the chemical composition and the morphology of S. langsdorffii seeds could favour maintenance of their viability until the beginning of the rainy season.

Keywords

arildiasporeembryonic axisjacaranda-bananaseed-coat poresstomataSwartzia langsdorffii

Information

Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , March 2016 , pp. 47 - 56
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Berjak, P. and Pammenter, N. (2000) What ultrastructure has told us about recalcitrant seeds. Revista Brasileira de Fisiologia Vegetal 12, 22–55.Google Scholar
Berjak, P. and Pammenter, N.W. (2008) From Avicenia to Zizania: seed recalcitrance in perspective. Annals of Botany 101, 213–228.Google Scholar
Berjak, P., Farrant, J.M. and Pammenter, N.W. (1989) The basis of recalcitrant seed behaviour. pp. 89–108 in Taylorson, R.B. (Ed.) Recent advances in the development and germination of seeds. New York, Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calistru, C., Mclean, M., Pammenter, N.W. and Berjak, P. (2000) The effects of mycofloral infection on the viability and ultrastructure of wet-stored recalcitrant seeds of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. Seed Science Research 10, 341–353.Google Scholar
Chacón, P. and Bustamante, R.O. (2001) The effects of seed size and pericarp on seedling recruitment and biomass in Cryptocarya alba (Lauraceae) under two contrasting moisture regimes. Plant Ecology 152, 137–144.Google Scholar
Chin, H.F., Krishnapillay, B. and Stanwood, P.C. (1989) Seed moisture: recalcitrant vs. orthodox seeds. pp. 15–22 in Stanwood, P.C.; McDonald, M.B. (Eds) Seed moisture. Madison, Crop Science Society of America.Google Scholar
Cipollini, M.L. and Levey, D.J. (1997) Secondary metabolites of fleshy vertebrate-dispersed fruits: adaptive hypotheses and implications for seed dispersal. The American Naturalist 50, 346–372.Google Scholar
Colpas, F.T. and Oliveira, D.M.T. (2003) Structure and ontogeny of Swartzia langsdorffii (Leguminosae) pericarp. Nordic Journal of Botany 22, 313–323.Google Scholar
Colpas, F.T., Ono, E.O., Rodrigues, J.D. and Passos, J.R.S. (2003) Effects of some phenolic compounds on soybean seed germination and on seed-borne fungi. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 46, 155–161.Google Scholar
Constabel, C.P., Yip, L., Patton, J.J. and Christopher, M.E. (2000) Polyphenol oxidase from hybrid poplar. Cloning and expression in response to wounding and herbivory. Plant Physiology 124, 285–295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cromarty, A.S., Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1985) The design of seed storage facilities for genetic conservation. Rome, International Board of Plant Genetic Resources.Google Scholar
Daws, M.I., Garwood, N.C. and Pritchard, H.W. (2005) Traits of recalcitrant seeds in a semi-deciduous tropical forest in Panama: some ecological implications. Functional Ecology 19, 874–885.Google Scholar
De Souza, F.H.D. and Marcos Filho, J. (2001) The seed coat as a modulator of seed environment relationships in Fabaceae. Revista Brasileira de Botanica 24, 365–375.Google Scholar
Dickie, J.B., Balick, M.J. and Linington, I.M. (1992) Experimental investigations into the feasibility of ex situ preservation of palm seeds: an alternative strategy for biological conservation of this economically important plant family. Biodiversity and Conservation 1, 112–119.Google Scholar
Dresch, D.M., Scalon, S.P.Q., Masetto, T.E. and Mussury, R.M. (2014) Storage of Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg seeds: influence of water content and environmental temperature. American Journal of Plant Science 5, 2555–2565.Google Scholar
Dussert, S., Chabrillange, N., Engelmann, F., Anthony, F., Louarn, J. and Hamon, S. (2000) Relationship between seed desiccation sensitivity, seed water content at maturity and climatic characteristics of native environments of nine Coffea L. species. Seed Science Research 10, 293–300.Google Scholar
Ellis, R.H., Hong, T.D. and Roberts, E.H. (1990) An intermediate category of seed storage behavior? Journal of Experimental Botany 41, 1167–1174.Google Scholar
EMBRAPA (1997) Sistema Brasileiro de Classificação de Solos. Rio de Janeiro, EMBRAPA-CNPS.Google Scholar
Farnsworth, E. (2000) The ecology and physiology of viviparous and recalcitrant seeds. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 31, 107–138.Google Scholar
Francis, G., Kerem, Z., Makkar, H.P.S. and Becker, K. (2002) The biological action of saponins in animal systems: a review. British Journal of Nutrition 88, 587–605.Google Scholar
Hamilton, K.N., Offord, C., Cuneo, P. and Deseo, M.A. (2013) A comparative study of seed morphology in relation to desiccation tolerance and other physiological responses in 71 Eastern Australian rainforest species. Plant Species Biology 28, 51–62.Google Scholar
Hong, T.D., Linington, S. and Ellis, R.H. (1998) Compendium of information on seed storage behaviour. Vols 1 and 2. Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens.Google Scholar
ISTA (2004) International rules for seed testing. Bassesdorf, Switzerland, The International Seed Testing Association.Google Scholar
Jayasuriya, K.M.G.G., Baskin, J.M., Baskin, C.C. and Fernando, M.T.R. (2012) Variation in seed dormancy and storage behaviour of three liana species of Derris (Fabaceae, Faboideae) in Sri Lanka and ecological implications. Research Journal of Seed Science 5, 1–18.Google Scholar
Karnovky, M.J. (1965) A formaldehyde–glutaraldehyde fixative of high osmolarity for use in electron microscopy. Journal of Cell Biology 27, 137–138.Google Scholar
Kermode, A.R. and Finch-Savage, W.E. (2002) Desiccation sensitivity in orthodox and recalcitrant seeds in relation to development. pp. 149–184 in Black, M.; Pritchard, H.W. (Eds) Desiccation and survival in plants: drying without dying. Wallingford, Oxon, CABI Publishing.Google Scholar
Köppen, W. (1936) Das geographisca System der Klimate. pp. 1–44 in Köppen, W.; Geiger, R. (Eds) Handbuch der Klimatologie. Berlin, Gebrüder Borntraeger.Google Scholar
Maciel, A.S., Borges, E.E.L. and Borges, R.C.G. (1992) Determinação da presença de fenóis em sementes de espécies florestais e sua relação com inibidores de germinação [Assessment of the presence of phenols in seeds of forest species and their relation with germination inhibitors]. Revista Brasileira de Sementes 14, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marangon, L.C., Soares, J.J. and Feliciano, A.L.P. (2003) Florística arbórea da mata da pedreira, município de viçosa, Minas Gerais. Revista Árvore 27, 207–215.Google Scholar
Martins, V.F., Cazotto, L.P.D. and dos Santos, F.A.M. (2014) Dispersal spectrum of four forest types along an altitudinal range of Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. Biota Neotropica 14, 1–22.Google Scholar
O'Brien, T.P. and McCully, M.E. (1981) The study of plant structure: principles and selected methods. Melbourne, Termarcarphi Pty.Google Scholar
Paiva, P.D.O., Landgraf, P.R.C., Rodrigues, T.M., Pedroso, D.O., Oliveira Filho, A.T., Gavilanes, M.L. and Paiva, R. (2004) Identificação e caracterização das espécies arbóreas do canteiro central da Universidade Federal de Lavras/MG. Ciência e Agrotecnologia 28, 515–519.Google Scholar
Pammenter, N.W. and Berjak, P. (1999) A review of recalcitrant seed physiology in relation to desiccation-tolerance mechanisms. Seed Science Research 9, 13–37.Google Scholar
Pammenter, N.W. and Berjak, P. (2000) Evolutionary and ecological aspects of recalcitrant seed biology. Seed Science Research 10, 301–306.Google Scholar
Pritchard, H.W., Daws, M.I., Fletcher, B.J., Gamene, C.S., Msanga, H.P. and Omondi, W. (2004) Ecological correlates of seed desiccation tolerance in tropical African dryland trees. American Journal of Botany 91, 863–870.Google Scholar
R Development Core Team (2011) R: A language and environment for statistical computing, Vienna, Austria, R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Available at http://www.R-project.org (accessed accessed 6 June 2016).Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1973) Predicting the storage life of seeds. Seed Science and Technology 1, 499–514.Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. and King, M.W. (1980) The characteristics of recalcitrant seeds. pp. 1–5 in Chin, H.F.; Roberts, E.H. (Eds) Recalcitrant crop seeds. Kuala Lumpur, Tropical Press.Google Scholar
Santos, N. (1979) Fenologia. Rodriguésia 31, 223–226.Google Scholar
Sobrino-Vesperinas, E. and Viviani, A.B. (2000) Pericarp micromorphology and dehydration characteristics of Quercus suber L. acorns. Seed Science Research 10, 401–407.Google Scholar
Souza, R.P. and Válio, F.M. (2001) Seed size, seed germination, and seedling survival of Brazilian tropical tree species differing in successional status. Biotropica 33, 447–457.Google Scholar
Swigonska, S., Amarowicz, R., Krol, A., Mostek, A., Badowiec, A. and Stanislaw, W. (2014) Influence of abiotic stress during soybean germination followed by recovery on the phenolic compounds of radicles and their antioxidant capacity. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 83, 209–218.Google Scholar
Tompsett, P.B. (1992) A review of the literature on the storage of dipterocarp seeds. Seed Science and Technology 20, 251–267.Google Scholar
Tweddle, J.C., Dickie, J.B., Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (2003) Ecological aspects of seed desiccation sensitivity. Journal of Ecology 91, 294–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Veloso, H.P., Rangel Filho, A.L.R. and Lima, J.C.A. (1991) Classificação da vegetação brasileira adataptada a um sistema universal. Rio de Janeiro, FIBGE, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística.Google Scholar
Yu, Y., Baskin, J.M., Baskin, C., Tang, Y. and Cao, M. (2008) Ecology of seed germination of eight non-pioneer tree species from a tropical seasonal rain forest in southwest China. Plant Ecology 197, 1–16.Google Scholar