ISHS Acta Horticulturae 629: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: The Future for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
STRATIFICATION AND PRIMING MAY IMPROVE SEED GERMINATION OF PURPLE CONEFLOWER, BLUE-FLAG IRIS AND EVENING PRIMROSE |
| Author: | D. Wees |
| Keywords: | Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Iris versicolor, Oenothera biennis, medicinal, wildflower, ornamental |
| Abstract:
Several North American native wildflowers have potential for medicinal and ornamental use but have poor, erratic or slow seed germination. The goal of this project was to improve germination, using stratification or priming, of Blue-flag iris (Iris versicolor), evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), narrow-leaf purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) and purple coneflower (E. purpurea). Stratification consisted of storing seeds in wet paper towels at 4°-5°C for 4 weeks (in 1997) or 3 weeks (in 1999). Priming consisted of soaking seeds in an aerated 0.1 M or 0.2 M solution of KNO3 for 7 days in 1999; in 1997 a 0.1 M solution was used for 5 days. With Iris versicolor stratification, priming and the control gave respectively 58 %, 33 % and 9 % germination in 1997 and 17 %, 1 % and 0 % in 1999; germination was slow and took 24-34 days in 1997 and 12-19 days in 1999. Germination of Oenothera biennis was not significantly affected by stratification or priming. With Echinacea angustifolia, stratification, priming and the control gave respectively 22 %, 24 % and 12 % germination in 1997; germination was much poorer in 1999 and never exceeded 10 %; in 1999, stratified seeds germinated faster than the other treatments. Both stratification and priming improved % germination of E. purpurea from 44 % to 83 % and 69 % respectively; these treatments also reduced the time to germination from 13 days to 8 or 6 days, respectively. | |
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