Abstract
An examination was made of the structure of the coats of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seeds of different provenance and the contribution of this factor to differences in imbibition. The seed coat layers derived from the integument, the sarcotesta, sclerotesta and endotesta did little to restrict imbibition, even though the sclerotesta of the northern provenance seeds was composed of a double multicellular layer and the sarcotesta contained large numbers of pigmented, phenol-bearing cells. In addition to the micropyle, the sclerotesta was found to possess structural openings at the chalazal end and at the ridge joining the two halves of the seed, but being covered by the pigmented cells of the sarcotesta, these did not allow water to enter any more than did the micropyle itself. Imbibition was chiefly regulated by the lipophilic covers surrounding the endosperm, which are mainly of nucellar origin, especially by the megaspore membranes nearest to the endosperm, the outer and inner exine. The nucellar cap covering the micropylar end of the endosperm proved to be impermeable to water, and its edge extended between the exine layers, which further enhanced the importance of the endosperm covers as regulators of imbibition.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnett JP (1972) Seedcoat influences dormancy of loblolly pine seeds. Can J For Res 2: 2–10
Barnett JP (1976) Delayed germination of southern pine seeds (Pinus spp.) related to seed coat constraint. Can J For Res 6: 504–510
Baron FJ (1966) Emoryo growth and seed germination of sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana L.). Adv Front Plant Sci 17: 1–14
Baron EJ (1978) Moisture and temperature in relation to seed structure and germination of sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Dougl.). Am J Bot 65: 804–810
Bergsten U (1987) Incubation ofPinus sylvestris L. andPicea abies L. (Karst.) seeds at controlled moisture content as an invigoration step in the IDS method. Dissertation. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Silviculture, Umeå
Coulter JM, Chamberlain CJ (1910) Morphology of gymnosperms. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Fahn A (1990) Plant anatomy. 4th edn. Pergamon Press, Oxford
Ferguson M (1904) Contributions to the life history ofPinus, with special reference to sporogenesis, the development of the gametophytes, and fertilization. Proc Wash Acad Sci 6: 1–202
Goo M (1951) Water absorption by tree seeds. Bull Tokyo Univ For 39: 55–60
Goo M (1965) Relation of seed-coat, light and stratification to the germination ofPinus densiflora seeds. Bull Tokyo Univ For 59: 1–18
Grzywacz AP, Rosochacka J (1980) The colour ofPinus sylvestris L. seeds and their susceptibility to damping-off. II. Colour of seed coats and their chemical composition. Eur J For Pathol 10: 193–201
Hagner M (1985) Germinant morphology and seedling establishment inPicea abies (in Swedish). Sver Skogsvardsfoer Tidskr. 1: 77–81
Håkansson A (1956) Seed development ofPicea abies andPinus silvestris. Medd Statens Skogsforskningsinst 46: 1–23
Hoff RJ (1987) Dormancy inPinus monticola seed related to stratification time, seed coat, and genetics. Can J For Res 17: 294–298
Humphrey CD, Pittman FE (1974) A simple methylene blue-azure II-basic fuchsin stain for epoxy-embedded tissue sections. Stain Technology 49: 9–14
ISTA (1985) International Seed Testing Association rules for seed testing. Seed Sci Technol 18: 337–343
Jensen WA (1962) Botanical histochemistry. Principles and practices. Freeman San Francisco London
Kozlowski TT, Gentile AG (1959) Influence of the seed coat on germination, water absorption, and oxygen uptake of eastern white pine seed. For Sci 5: 389–395
Nobbe F (1876) Handbuch der Samenkunde. Wiegandt, Hempel, and Paren, Berlin
Marbach I, Mayer AM (1974) Permeability of seed coats to water as related to drying conditions and metabolism of phenolics. Plant Physiology 54: 817–820
Pakkanen A, Pulkkinen P, Vakkari P (1991) Pollen contamination in the years 1988–1989 in some old Scots pine seed orchard of the Northern Finnish origin. Rep Found For Tree Breeding 3: 3–8
Sarvas R (1962) Investigations on the flowering and seed crop ofPinus silvestris. Commun Inst For Fenn 53: 1–198
Sarvas R (1964) Havupuut. WSOY, Porvoo
Schnarf K (1933) Embryologie der Gymnospermen. Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie. X/2. Borntraeger, Berlin
Schnarf K (1937) Anatomie der Gymnospermen-Samen. Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie. X/I. Borntraeger, Berlin
Singh H (1978) Embryology of gymnosperms. Encyclopedia of Plant Anatomy. X/2. Borntraeger, Berlin
Singh H, Johri BM (1972) Development of gymnosperm seeds. In: Kozlowski TT (ed) Seed biology, vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 22–75
Stanley RG (1958) Gross respiratory and water uptake patterns in germinating sugar pine seed. Physiol Plant 11: 503–515
Tillman-Sutela E (1993) The influence of incubation temperature, provenance and season on the result of the IDS-treatment ofPinus sylvestris L. seeds. Licenciate thesis. University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology, Helsinki
Zentsch W (1960) Zur Wasseraufnahme keimender Koniferensamen. Naturwissenschaften 47: 70
Zentsch W (1962) Zur Wasseraufnahme keimender Fichtensamen (Picea abies L. Karsten). Flora 152: 227–235
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tillman-Sutela, E., Kauppi, A. The morphological background to imbibition in seeds ofPinus sylvestris L. of different provenances. Trees 9, 123–133 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02418201
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02418201