Summary
Poor germination of seeds is of common occurrence in the Umbelliferae. Probably the most important of several causes is the presence of non-viable seeds which have no embryo. Embryoless seeds have been found to result from the feeding of theLygus bug on the developing seed. The insect seems to inject a toxic component of its oral secretions while feeding; this causes degeneration of the embryo. Control of theLygus bug by use of insect-tight cages or by application of insecticide greatly reduced the number of embryo-less seeds and also increased the seed yield.
Rudimentary embryos have also been found in seed of the Umbelliferae, but the cause is not definitely known. It has been suggested that the seeds with rudimentary embryos are the cause of the delayed germination often encountered in carrots.
Dormancy occurs in celery seed when temperature and light are unfavorable. This dormancy can be overcome by exposing the seed to light and cool or alternating cool and warm temperatures during the germination period. Seeds ofHeracleum sphondylium are also dormant when the temperature is warm, but several months at low temperature will break the dormancy. Low temperature seems to favor germination by promoting the breakdown of reserve proteins in the seed to the particular amino acids which are necessary for growth of the embryo.
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I would like to express my deep appreciation to Professor Harlan K. Pratt for his encouragement and assistance in the preparation of this manuscript, and to Professor James F. Harrington for advice and assistance in searching the literature.
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Robinson, R.W. Seed germination problems in the Umbelliferae. Bot. Rev 20, 531–550 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02958802
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02958802