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Influence of light, temperature and salinity on the seed germination of Haloxylon ammodendron

Huang Zhenying, Zhang Xinshi, Gutterman Y, Zheng Guanghua

Laboratory of Quantitative Vegetation Ecology,Institute of Botany,Chinese Academy of Sciences.Beijing 100093；Israel；Laboratory of Seed Physiology,Beijing Botanical Garden,Chinese Academy of Sciences.Beijing 100093

Abstract

The germination characteristics of Haloxylon ammodendron, a shrubby perennial distributed in many areas of deserts of Northwest China, and in the Central-Asian Desert phytogeographic region, were studied. The optimal temperature for germination was 10deg C, the sub-optimal temperatures wee 15 to 20deg C. From 20deg C, the higher the temperature, the lower the percentages of germination. No difference was found between the germinability of its seeds in light and in darkness. Germination was not affected by NaCl at concentrations below 0.2 mol/L, and was decreased by NaCl at higher concentrations, and fell to nearly 0 after 0.8 mol/L. Seeds that were incubated in NaCl solution for 9 d recovered after being transferred to distilled water and the percentage of recovery from high salinity concentrations was higher than low concentrations. The percentages of germination in NaCl and those after being transferred to distilled water were lower than the non-saline control, indicating that parts of the NaCl treated seeds have permanently lost their germination ability.

Key words: Haloxylon amrwdendron;Light;Temperature;Soil salinity;Seed germination;Recovery of germination

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Citing This Article：

Huang Zhenying, Zhang Xinshi, Gutterman Y, Zheng Guanghua. Influence of light, temperature and salinity on the seed germination of Haloxylon ammodendron. Acta Physiol Sin 2001; 53 (3): (in Chinese with English abstract).