2022 Volume 48 Issue 1 Pages 74-79
Osbeckia chinensis L. (Melastomataceae), a tropical plant with its northern limit of distribution in semi-natural grasslands in Mie Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, is a threatened species. The purpose of this study was to determine seed germination traits of the O. chinensis. Germination tests based on gradually increasing and decreasing temperature method indicated that low temperatures for short periods of time induced secondary dormancy. The results of cold stratification for different periods (no treatment, 30-days, 60-days, 90-days) showed that untreated seeds had the highest germination rate, followed by the 90-days treatment. Germination of O. chinensis does not require light and alternating temperatures. It was inferred that buried seeds do not form a persistent seed bank.
