The germination of spore-forming bacteria in high-salinity environments is of applied interest for food microbiology and soil ecology. It has previously been shown that high salt concentrations detrimentally affect Bacillus subtilis spore germination, rendering this process slower and less efficient. The mechanistic details of these salt effects, however, remained obscure. Since initiation of n...

Germination timing of Arabidopsis thaliana displays strong plasticity to geographic location and seasonal conditions experienced by seeds. We identified which plastic responses were adaptive using recombinant inbred lines in a field manipulation of geographic location (Kentucky, KY; Rhode Island, RI), maternal photoperiod (14-h and 10-h days), and season of dispersal (June and November). Transg...

Conservation of an imperiled plant often requires an understanding of its reproductive ecology. Scrub plum (Prunus geniculata) is an endangered Florida shrub endemic to pyrogenic xeric uplands. Although plants are long-lived and may flower profusely, particularly after burning, fruit yield is sparse and seedlings are rare. We investigated potential causes of seedling rarity in scrub plum by stu...

To cite this article: Judith A. Irwin, Paul A. Ashton, Francois Bretagnolle & Richard J. Abbott (2016): The long and the short of it: long-styled florets are associated with higher outcrossing rate in Senecio vulgaris and result from delayed self-pollen germination, Plant Ecology & Diversity, DOI: 10.1080/17550874.2016.1181116 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2016.118...

Senecio aquaticus, regionally a Red List species in Europe, has become increasingly abundant in agricultural grassland of medium to high management intensity in Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria in recent years, where it is a threat for animal and human health due to its toxicity. In this study, we investigated the seed ecology of S. aquaticus to help protection of the species in relic...

Loss of aquatic plant species has occurred in coastal and freshwater habitats throughout the world. In particular, population and habit loss of the submerged aquatic species, Vallisneria americana Michx., have made it a potential restoration candidate. For successful restoration, reliable seed sources are vital for producing plants or for direct seeding. Seed survival and their ability to retai...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Comparative studies of closely related taxa can increase understanding of adaptations and changes in seed dormancy and germination preferences in an evolutionary perspective. For such studies, a method to describe and compare the performance of taxa in a general way is needed. The germination ecology of four Papaver taxa was studied with the aim of describing and comparing t...