Summary
Dispersal units of Aegilops ovata contain in their spikelets caryopses differing in morphology, weight and germinability according to their position in the spikelets. Plants originating from caryopses of the diverse orders were grown under various photo- and thermoperiodic conditions, and the caryopses harvested germinated under uniform conditions. Under all conditions tested, the relative difference in weight between the caryopses of the various orders was not affected. But plants grown under long days and/or low temperatures produced heavier caryopses than plants grown under short days and/or high temperatures respectively. There was a positive correlation between weight and germinability in caryopses of the various orders derived from one mother plant, and a reverse correlation in caryopses formed on mother plants grown under low and high temperatures. When mother plants arising from various orders of caryopses were grown under long days and low temperatures, they produced caryopses of different germinability, showing that the origin of the mother plant may affect the germination qualities of its offspring. The implications of these results are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black, O. N.: Competition between plants of different initial seed sizes in swards of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) with particular reference to leaf area and the light microlimate. Aust. J. Agr. Res. 9, 299–318 (1958).
Black, O. N.: An assessment of the role of planting density in competition between red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa) in the early vegetative stage. Oikos 11, 26–42 (1960)
Datta, S. C., Evenari, M., Gutterman, Y.: The heteroblasty of Aegilops ovata L. Israel J. Bot. 19, 463–483 (1970).
Datta, S. C., Gutterman, Y., Evenari, M.: Photoperiodic and temperature responses of plants derived from the various heteroblastic caryopses of Aegilops ovata L. Golden Jubilee Vol., Ind. Bot. Soc. (Ecol. Sect.), in press.
Evans, L. T., Dunstone, R. L.: Some physiological aspects of evolution in wheat. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 23, 725–741 (1970).
Evenari, M.: Zur Keimungsökologie zweier Wüstenpflanzen. Mitt. flor.-soz. Arb. Gemein. 10, 70–81 (1963).
Evenari, M., Koller, D., Gutterman, Y.: Effects of the environment of the mother plant on germination by control of seed-coat permeability to water in Ononis sicula Guss. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 19, 1007–1016 (1966).
Evenari, M., Shanan, L., Tadmor, M.: The Negev. The challenge of a desert. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press 1971.
Felippe, G. M., Dale, J. E.: Effects of ccc and gibberillic acid on the progeny of treated plants. Planta (Berl.) 80, 344–348 (1968).
Gutterman, Y.: The photoperiodic response of some plants and the effect of the environment of the mother plants on the germination of their seeds. [Hebr. with Engl. summ.], Doct. dissert., The Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem 1969.
Gutterman, Y., Evenari, M.: The influence of day length on seed coat colour, an index of water permeability, of the desert annual Ononis sicula Guss. J. Ecol. (in press).
Harber, J. L.: Approaches to the study of plant competition. Symp. Soc. exp. Biol. 15, 1–39 (1961).
Jacques, R.: Action de la lumière par l'intermédiaire du phytochrome sur la germination, la croissance et le développement de Chenopodium polyspermum L. Physiol. Vég. 6, 137–164 (1968).
Junttila, O.: Effect of mother plant temperature on seed development and germination in Syringa reflexa Schneid. Meld. Norg. Landbr.-Høgsk. 50, 1–16 (1971).
Karssen, C. M.: The light promoted germination of the seeds of Chenopodium album L. III. Effects of the photoperiod during growth and development of the plants on the dormancy of the produced seeds. Acta bot. neerl. 19, 81–94 (1970).
Koller, D.: Preconditioning of germination in lettuce at time of fruit ripening. Amer. J. Bot. 49, 841–844 (1962).
Koller, D., Roth, N.: Studies on the ecological and physiological significance of amphicarpy in Gymnarrhena micrantha (Compositae). Amer. J. Bot. 51, 26–35 (1964).
McWilliams, E. L., Landers, R. Q., Mahlstede, J. P.: Variation in seed weight and germination in populations of Amaranthus retroflexus L. Ecology 49, 290–296 (1968).
Murbeck, S. V.: Beiträge zur Biologie der Wüstenpflanzen. II. Die Synaptospermie. Acta Univ. Lund 10, 1–36 (1920).
Popay, A. I., Roberts, E. H.: Ecology of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. and Senecio vulgaris L. in relation to germination behaviour. J. Ecol. 58, 123–139 (1970).
Salisbury, E.: The reproductive capacity of plants, London: Bell & Sons 1942.
Schwemmle, J.: Der Einfluß des Standortes auf die Samenkeimung. Biol. Zbl. 87, 37–46 (1969).
Zeevaart, J. A. D.: Reduction of the gibberellin content of Pharbitis seeds by ccc and aftereffects in the progeny. Plant Physiol. 41, 856–862 (1966).
Zohary, M.: Die verbreitungsökologischen Verhältnisse der Pflanzen Palästinas. Beih. bot. Zbl. 56, 1–155 (1937).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Datta, S.C., Gutterman, Y. & Evenari, M. The influence of the origin of the mother plant on yield and germination of their caryopses in Aegilops ovata . Planta 105, 155–164 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385574
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385574