eprintid: 15763
rev_number: 16
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1903
dir: disk0/00/01/57/63
datestamp: 2013-07-25 11:05:58
lastmod: 2016-04-21 16:03:53
status_changed: 2013-07-25 11:05:58
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Fernández-Pascual, Eduardo
creators_name: Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja
creators_name: García-Torrico, Ana I.
creators_name: Perez Garcia, Felix
creators_name: Díaz, Tomás E.
creators_id: felix.perez@upm.es
title: Germination ecology of the perennial Centaurium somedanum, a specialist species of mountain springs
publisher: Cambridge University Press
rights: by-nc-nd
ispublished: pub
subjects: biologia
subjects: agricultura
full_text_status: public
abstract: To improve understanding of how a rare endemic species of Centaurium adapts to a specialized ecological niche, we studied the germination ecology of the mountain spring specialist, C. somedanum, a perennial species restricted to an unusual habitat for this genus. We conducted laboratory experiments with fresh seeds collected from two populations for three consecutive years, to investigate: (1) the effect of temperature and light ongermination; (2) the existence of seed dormancy; and (3) inter-population and inter-annual variation in germinability. Germination occurred only in the light and at relatively low temperatures (15?228C) with no differences between constant and alternating regimes, and a significant decrease at high temperatures (258C and 308C). We found non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy and variation in seed germinability depending on the year of seed collection. C. somedanum diverged from the common germination characteristics of the genus in: (1) its germination at lower temperatures, which contrasts with what is generally expected in wetland species but could be adaptive in the spring habitat; and (2) its morphophysiological dormancy, which we report here for the first time in the genus and which could be an adaptation to its mountain habitat.
date_type: published
date: 2012
publication: Seed Science Research
volume: 22
pagerange: 195-205
institution: Agricola
department: Biologia
refereed: TRUE
issn: 0960-2585
citation:   Fernández-Pascual, Eduardo and Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja and García-Torrico, Ana I. and Perez Garcia, Felix and Díaz, Tomás E.  (2012).  Germination ecology of the perennial Centaurium somedanum, a specialist species of mountain springs.   "Seed Science Research", v. 22 ;   pp. 195-205.  ISSN 0960-2585.    
document_url: https://oa.upm.es/15763/1/INVE_MEM_2012_130413.pdf