Experimental Studies on the Seed Germination Characteristics of Liriope platyphylla and Ophiopogon japonicus (Liliaceae-Ophiopogonoideae)

Abstract

Several experiments on the seed germination of two liliaceous (Ophiopogonoideae) species, Ophiopogon japonicus, Liriope platyphylla represented us some new and interesting facts about its characteristics, as follows: (1) Between two types of Ophiopogon japonicas with seeds characterized by colors of testa, the type of seeds with light blue testa represented much higher germination rate than those with dark blue testa; (2) The seeds of Liriope platyphylla changed the color of their testa from green to black according to maturity. But any difference of germination rate was not found between two groups of seed lots with each of these colors; (3) The seed lots of Liriope platyphylla heightened substantially their germination rate from nearly null up about 50% when their testa was removed; (4) Steeping into gibberellic acid (GA₃) solution could not effectively break the dormancy of the seeds of both species; (5) The seeds with dark blue testa of Ophiopogon japonicus did not change their germinability under the influence of light condition and testa removed; (6) The seed lots of both species could not germinate at all when stored under dry condition for either period of one month or four months; (7) When stored under wet condition, the seed lots of Liriope platyphylla began to reduce the germinability in three or four months after the harvest, while those of Ophiopogon japonicus kept the initial germinability even in eight months; (8) The germination rate of Liriope platyphylla just after the harvest was higher under the light condition than under the dark; (9) The optimum temperature for seed germination ranged from 20 to 30°C in Ohiopogon japonicus and from 15 to 30°C in Liriope platyphylla.