Breaking dormancy in seeds of Anisodus tanguticus: an endangered medicinal herb of high altitude in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

摘要

Anisodus tanguticus (Maxino) Pascher, is an endemic and threatened medicinal plant in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. In natural conditions. its germination is low and Progresses slowly. Four dormancy breaking treatments. chilling. chilling + gibberellic acid. gibberellic acid and Mechanical scarification were used to determine whether they could improve germination. Scarification was the only treatment which allowed germination. Scarification improved germination from 0% (control) to over 70%, and the median germination time was approximately 4.1 d. A. tanguticus seeds therefore have a coat-imposed dormancy. and the hard seed coats act In preventing water absorption and gaseous exchange. These results provide a means to enhance seed germination and may help for propagation of this species.