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Seed anatomy and dormancy class of 14 species from the Andean montane forests of Colombia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2023

Jose M. Rojas-Villa Open the ORCID record for Jose M. Rojas-Villa [Opens in a new window]  and
Mario A. Quijano-Abril Open the ORCID record for Mario A. Quijano-Abril [Opens in a new window]
Jose M. Rojas-Villa
Affiliation:
Group of Floristic Studies, Herbarium Universidad Católica de Oriente, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Universidad Católica de Oriente, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia
Mario A. Quijano-Abril*
Affiliation:
Group of Floristic Studies, Herbarium Universidad Católica de Oriente, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia
*
Corresponding author: Mario A. Quijano-Abril; Email: maquijano@uco.edu.co
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Abstract

Seed dormancy is a key trait used around the world to help understand the ecological dynamics of plant species, however, in some ecosystems such as the Andean forests of Colombia, the identification of dormancy class remains poorly known. To address this, we described the morphology, anatomy and dormancy class of the seeds and fruits of 14 species using microtome sections, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Five native pioneer species showed Morphophysiological Dormancy, three Physical Dormancy + Physiological Dormancy and two Physical Dormancy, whereas two invasive species showed Physiological Dormancy. Only the species of the genus Cecropia had seeds with PY + PD that was promoted by the anatomical structure of the achenes. Of the analysed species, 85% showed dormancy and followed a pattern like other tropical montane ecosystems in the world. The anatomy of achenes and development of seed dormancy play important roles in the capacity of Cecropia species to contribute to the natural regeneration of Andean ecosystems. Additionally, seed dormancy may promote the high invasiveness of Thunbergia alata and Ulex europaeus in the Andean forests of the Central Cordillera of Colombia.

Keywords

Andesinvasive plantsmontane forestsnative plantsseed anatomyseed dormancy
Type
Research Paper
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , June 2023 , pp. 85 - 100
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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