Germination Behaviour of Seeds of the New Zealand Woody Species Alectryon Excelsus, Corynocarpus Laevigatus, and Kunzea Ericoides
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New Zealand Journal of Botany ISSN: 0028-825X (Print) 1175-8643 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnzb20 Germination behaviour of seeds of the New Zealand woody species Alectryon excelsus, Corynocarpus laevigatus, and Kunzea ericoides C. J. Burrows To cite this article: C. J. Burrows (1996) Germination behaviour of seeds of the New Zealand woody species Alectryon excelsus, Corynocarpus laevigatus, and Kunzea ericoides , New Zealand Journal of Botany, 34:4, 489-498, DOI: 10.1080/0028825X.1996.10410129 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1996.10410129 Published online: 31 Jan 2012. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 161 View related articles Citing articles: 14 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tnzb20 Download by: [125.239.173.16] Date: 29 August 2017, At: 22:53 New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1996, Vol. 34:489--498 489 0028-825X/96/3404-4)489 $2.50/0 9The Royal Society of New Zealand 1996 Germination behaviour of seeds of the New Zealand woody species Alectryon excelsus, Corynocarpus laevigatus, and Kunzea ericoides C. J. BURROWS INTRODUCTION Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences This is a further contribution to a series of papers University of Canterbury describing the germination behaviour of seeds of Private Bag 4800 woody plant species in New Zealand lowland for- Christchurch, New Zealand ests in conditions similar to those that the seeds could experience in nature (cf. Burrows 1995a, 1995b). The aim of the study was to examine the germina- Abstract Germination rates, percentage germina- tion rates, numbers of seeds which germinate, and tion success, and phenomena related to germination features of the germination delay systems for freshly delay were determined for seeds of Alectryon collected seeds from wild parents. As noted in the excelsus, Corynocarpus laevigatus, and Kunzea review by Fountain & Outred (1991), published in- ericoides, taken from freshly collected fruit. The ex- formation on the germination capabilities of seeds perimental treatments simulated natural conditions of New Zealand forest species is scarce. It is neces- that the seeds could experience after dispersal. sary to have information of this sort before the re- In a treatment where seeds were cleaned and kept generation ecology of the forests can be well moist, in the light, germination success was 94% for understood, or before decisions can be made about Corynocarpus and 100% for Kunzea but only 48- management of these forests for conservation or 56% for Alectryon. Seeds of each species germinated other purposes. moderately to very well (50-100%) on soil and (ex- The disseminules of all three species are referred cept Alectryon) in the dark. The seedlings of the to here as seeds, although the fruit of Corynocarpus large-seeded Alectryon (seeds at 5 cm depth) and are drupes; tough endocarp tissue surrounds each Corynocarpus (5 and 10 cm depth) reached the sur- seed. face when seeds were buffed in soil. Buried seeds of Kunzea (5 cm depth) germinated and the seedlings The species tested died underground. After seeds were kept dry for c. Alectryon excelsus Gaertn. (Sapindaceae) 5 months those of Kunzea germinated well (92%), those of Alectryon moderately well (58%), and those A single, or few-stemmed, evergreen, dioecious tree, Downloaded by [125.239.173.16] at 22:53 29 August 2017 of Corynocarpus poorly (10%). up to 15 m tall. It occurs in mixed forest, near the coast in the South Island. It is often a canopy spe- The seed germination behaviour of the three spe- cies accords quite well with the habitat conditions cies and may form groves. The paniculate infructescences, at the ends ofbranchlets, bear up to in which juveniles and adults are found. 20 large capsules, each containing one (rarely two) seed(s). When the capsule opens the upper part Keywords seeds; germination tests; simulating na- dehisces, revealing the shining black seed with its ture; winter germination lower half imbedded in a fleshy, scarlet arillode. Corynocarpus laevigatus J.R. et. G.Forst. (Corynocarpaceae) An evergreen, usually single-stemmed tree up to about 16 m tall. The bisexual flowers are borne in panicles on the ends of branchlets. The species oc- curs at margins or interiors of mixed forest, and near B95050a the coast in the South Island. It is believed to have Received 27 October 1995; accepted 4 July 1996 been moved to many locations by Maori but is sub- Z (J) ~ ~ c:: (J) 0.. e:.. ...... 3 ....., ::s N iii ~ t:O <: 0 0 0 '-0 ::s .... w '-0 2. "'" 490 .0\ ':;< sequently naturalised in unmanaged vegetation. The the are n 10 20 axis; fruit are large drupes with orange flesh, each with a 100 single large seed surrounded by endocarp tissue. from values main Kunzea ericolides (A.Rich.) J.Thompson of seeds (g) (Myrtaceae) error seed No length An evergreen shrub or tree, up to about 15 m tall. It 2.356 0.2323 + 0.000063 weight Mean occurs widely in dense, often monospecific stands air-dried in areas where forest has been disturbed, or at forest margins and in openings, in lowland to lower deviations. montane habitats. The bisexual flowers occur singly capsules; width thoroughly or grouped, near the tips ofbranchlets. The fruit are (mm) 16,4±1.l 7.97±0.19 0,45±0.07 small, three-or four-loculed, thin-walled capsules, Seed and opened each containing many tiny seeds, most of which were standard ± on empty in the samples examined. fruit length Seed dispersal mean (mm) 1.03±0.05 7.83±0.3+ 34.2±2.2 are The minute seeds of Kunzea are wind-dispersed Seed collected when the capsules open, in dry weather. The much larger seeds of Alectryon are exposed, with the measurements values * full freshly arillode prominent, when the capsule opens. Those fruit of of seeds of Corynocarpus are enclosed by fleshy pericarp The per 12.0±4.9 seeds. tissue. Kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) were No. seen eating it,; fruit and the arillode-imbedded seeds of of Alectryon. The single-seeded fruit of samples measured. Corynocarpus are too large to be swallowed whole fruit number (mm) by birds other than kereru. Many of its fruit fall to and random diameter Ripe 16,4±1.0+* the ground and some are eaten there by rats (Rattus 20.9±1.3 on given rattus). According to Clout & Hay (1989) Alectryon a counted seeds are eaten by all of the extant, medium-sized done fruit (mm) native and introduced forest birds. main length were were of 2.9±0.32 2,4±0.31 Ripe axis weighing 37.8±1.9 20.9±1.l9* by METHODS fruit individuals of Fruit were collected from locations in Canterbury per obtained 10 Downloaded by [125.239.173.16] at 22:53 29 August 2017 measurements 6.6±2.1 and (Corynocarpus) Marlborough, and kept cool, in 33±11.2 3.8±3.05** No. influctescence an insulated bin with cooler pads, before the seeds infructescences and were placed in the experiments. Table 1 summarises were date; site location data, collection dates, and other infor- indicated 13 strictly which I (m) Counts 260): 1994 mation on fi~uit and seeds. One provenance of 1994 1989 1994 not Alectryon was tested in 1989--90, by the methods reference - Apr Feb Jan described fully in Burrows (1995a). The other prov- Mar weights 140 otherwise 18 100 Altitude M361773248 20 Collection Grid (NZMS 6 M361774245 20 26 25 N36/076 enance of Alectryon and each of the other species 032/540593 properties. were tested in 1994 by methods which were essen- seed unless branchlets tially the same as those used in earlier studies (Bur- seed rows 1995a, 1995b, 1995c) but with some on mean and Akaroa, Bush, Peninsula Bush, Peninsula laevigatus modifications to the dark treatment and two addi- Peninsula the fruit tional treatments. The various treatments represent Kaikoura localities; Fruit of excelsus excelsus for a range of conditions which could be experienced by Banks Banks ericoides Valley Valley Banks 1 Bay, Marlborough the seeds in nature. Reserve, Except for one set of seeds left in the fruit, groups ** collection Table provided Location Taxon Town eastern Corynocarpus western Ahuriri Ahuriri Goose Coast, Alectryon Kunzea western pericarp tissues were removed and the seeds sepa- Alectryon Burrows---Germination of three NZ trees 491 Fig. 1 Meanmonthly maximum ,o U and minimum temperatures 1993- 9 20- 95 for the Christchurch Botanical Gardens site. E~ EE ~ ~o- o c ~ 5- o ._ ~'E 0 , , , , D J F M A M J d A S O N D J F M A M J d A S O N D J I 1994 I 1995 rated out by washing, sieving, and decantation in tap cleaned~ washed, and buried in pasteurised soil in water. It proved very difficult to remove the last 30 cm long, uptight cylinders made from 10.4 cm vestiges of the arillode tissue from Alectryon seeds. diameter plastic drainpipe, open at the top and with Kunzea fruit were stored in a large plastic bag; the drainage holes in the baseplate. Seeds were placed capsules then opened and the seeds could be shaken (in separate cylinders) at 5 cm and 10 cm, either out. All cleaned seeds were soaked in tap water for between two layers of nylon net or, if small, beneath 12 h. The seeds were then carefully sorted under a sheets of nylon net at the bottom of small plastic pots stereomicroscope to ensure that empty, damaged, or fitted with 0.2 mm mesh stainless steel gauze for diseased individuals were eliminated.