Improved procedure for germination of Coix lacrima-jobi (Poaceae) and Rhynchospora corymbosa (Cyperaceae) seeds in Environmental Chamber andGreenhouse

摘要

Most plants used in wetlands are usually seedlings, collected from wild wetlands. From literature, naturally occurring saplings of Typha latifolia (cattails), Typha spp. (reeds), Phragmites spp, (bulrush), Scirpus spp. have been extensively used in constructed wetland. However, wild saplings are scanty in natural populations, restricted in occurrence and season-dependent. The germinability of wetland herb seeds have been very little studied in spite of their usefulness. This study provides germination procedures of two monocotyledon plants with objectives to break the seeds dormancy, monitor the growth rate and compare the transverse section of stem, leaf, and root planted in a Greenhouse in the U.S and Nigeria under tropical and natural habitat. Mature and viable seeds samples of Coix lachma-jobi (CL) and Rhynchospora corymbosa (RC) were collected in their natural habitats, to assess two methods of seeds germination natural and scarification method. The experiments were conducted in the environmental chamber and Greenhouse. Twenty viable seeds each were selected for studies. A constant room temperature of 20°C for 24hrs called an environmental chamber the emergence of RC coleoptiles was visible by 14th day at 50% scarification. At 70% acid scarification for 1 min, germination took 19 days. The longer time to germinate at higher acid scarification indicates an adverse effect on the embryo. At greenhouse, with 50% scarification CL and RC germinated at 8th day. Seeds could be germinated within 1 to 2 weeks. These plants are weeds in Nigeria, using them for phytoremediation should be a welcome development in pollutant removal process.