The 120-yr period for Dr. Beal's seed viability experiment

After 120 yr of burial in moist, well-aerated sand, 23 seeds of Verbascum blattaria and two seeds of a Verbascum sp. germinated and produced normal plants (50% germination for Verbascum). After a 6-wk cold treatment, a single seed of Malva rotundifolia germinated also, producing a normal plant (2% g...

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Published inAmerican journal of botany Vol. 89; no. 8; pp. 1285 - 1288
Main Authors Telewski, Frank W, Zeevaart, Jan A. D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Botanical Soc America 01.08.2002
Botanical Society of America
Botanical Society of America, Inc
Subjects
Agrology
Biennials
Botany
Bottles
Ecology
Flowers
Flowers & plants
Germination
Leaves
Malva
Plant reproduction
Plants
seed viability
Seedlings
Seeds
Verbascum
Viability
W. J. Beal
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Summary:After 120 yr of burial in moist, well-aerated sand, 23 seeds of Verbascum blattaria and two seeds of a Verbascum sp. germinated and produced normal plants (50% germination for Verbascum). After a 6-wk cold treatment, a single seed of Malva rotundifolia germinated also, producing a normal plant (2% germination). Plants were grown to maturity in a greenhouse, and flowering was induced by exposure to a 6-wk cold treatment. Flowers were artificially pollinated to produce seed of both Verbascum blattaria and Malva rotundifolia. The Verbascum sp. failed to set seed. Collected seeds were subsequently germinated, producing normal plants. F1seeds of V. blattaria had a germination of 64%. Seeds (6%) of M. rotundifolia germinated after a cold treatment.
Bibliography:sp., Dr. E. G. Voss for comments regarding
1
hybrids, J. Klug for care of the plants using growth facilities supplied by Michigan State University‐Department of Energy (grant no. DE‐FG02‐91ER20021), and the Department of Horticulture for supplying cold room facilities for this study. The authors, L. Taylor, J. Taylor, and J. E. Grimes, were present at the exhumation of the bottle.
H. Rankin for germination of F
V. thapsus
Author for reprint request (fax: 517‐432‐1090
The authors thank Dr. R. S. Bandurski for supplying relevant information from the 100th year period, J. Taylor for supplying seed of
)
seed, E. M. Chittenden and Dr. A. Prather for assistance keying unknown
Verbascum
telewski@cpp.msu.edu
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ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
DOI:10.3732/ajb.89.8.1285