Germination of Oenothera odorata, endemic ruderal Onagraceae from Argentina

CHICHIZOLA, GISELE; ROVERE ADRIANA; GONZALEZ SOFIA

Phyton, International Journal of Experimental Botany.

Tech Science Press.

Lugar: Buenos Aires. Argentina; Año: 2018 vol. 87 p. 265 - 273

1851-5657

The Onagraceae are a well-defined family of flowering plants much used by man. Many representatives of this group, which contains 75 species belonging to 8 genera, are indigenous to Argentina, and 19% of these are commonly found throughout the country. Many Onagraceae are ruderal and promote the subsequent establishment of other species, thus contributing to the restoration of degraded areas. Since it is important to know the characteristics of seeds to be used in restoration projects, we studied the basic germination physiology of Oenothera odorata Jacq., a ruderal plant indigenous to Argentina. Material was collected from roadsides and embankments along National Highway 40 in the municipality of San Carlos de Bariloche, which lies within the Patagonian phytogeographical Province. Road construction generates degraded areas where O. odorata could be used to initiate revegetation and consolidate the substrate. We evaluated percentage germination (G), mean germination time (MGT) and time until initiation of germination (TUG) of a control (C) and of the following pre-germination treatments: 45 days cold moist stratification (CMS) and mechanical scarification with a scalpel (MS). Germination percentages were high (98% CMS, 96% MS, 93% C), with differences recorded only between CMS and C. MGT was lower in the CMS treatment than the control, but similar to MS. TUG was 4 days for all treatments. In conclusion, this species lacks dormancy mechanisms under these experimental conditions, which, together with the fact that it grows in disturbed sites, is endemic, and captures heavy metals, makes it suitable for use in the ecological restoration of areas affected by transport systems.