Vanesa MARTÍNEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, Felipe MARTÍNEZ-GARCÍA, Félix PÉREZ-GARCÍA

Census, reproductive biology, and germination of Astragalus gines-lopezii (Fabaceae), a narrow and endangered endemic species of SW Spain

Astragalus gines-lopezii Talavera, Podlech, Devesa & F.M.Vázquez (Fabaceae) is a threatened endemic species with a distribution restricted to a very small area in Badajoz Province (Extremadura Region, SW Spain) and only 2 populations are known. This species was catalogued in the \"Endangered\" category in the 2008 Red List and the 2010 Threatened Spanish Vascular Flora List. Despite its status as an endangered species, at present very little is known about the distribution, census, and reproductive biology of this species. In this study we have carried out an exhaustive census of A. gines-lopezii, and we have evaluated the production of flowers, fruits, and seeds and the existence or not of intra- and interpopulation variability in seed germination. Results have highlighted the high reproductive capacity of this species on the basis of a high production of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Mechanical scarification of seeds was effective for increasing germination. Thus, initial germination (22%-60%) was increased to 97%-99% when seeds were rubbed with sandpapers. A high intra- and interpopulation variability in seed germination was found in this species. A. gines-lopezii produces seeds with different degrees of physical dormancy, varying this grade among different individuals within a population.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Key words: Astragalus, Leguminosae, hard seeds, seed dormancy, seed germination, seed scarification

Census, reproductive biology, and germination of Astragalus gines-lopezii (Fabaceae), a narrow and endangered endemic species of SW Spain

Keywords:

Leguminosae, hard seeds, seed dormancy, seed germination, seed scarification, Astragalus,

PDF

___

Acharya SN, Kastelic JP, Beauchemin KA, Messenger DF (2006). A review of research progress on cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.). Can J Plant Sci 86: 49–62.
Akan H, Aytaç Z (2014). The revision of the section Alopecuroidei of the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae) in Turkey. Turk J Bot 38: 37–
Akan H, Civelek Ş (2001). Astragalus aytatchii (Fabaceae), a new species from Anatolia, Turkey. Ann Bot Fennici 38: 167–170.
Albert MJ, Iriondo JM, Pérez-García F (2002). Effects of temperature and pretreatments on seed germination of nine semiarid species from NE Spain. Isr J Plant Sci 50: 103–112.
Baskin CC, Baskin JM (2001). Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination. London, UK: Academic Press.
Baskin CC, Thompson K, Baskin JM (2006). Mistakes in germination ecology and how to avoid them. Seed Sci Res 16: 165–168.
Baskin JM, Baskin CC (2000). Evolutionary considerations of claims for physical dormancy-break by microbial action and abrasion by soil particles. Seed Sci Res 10: 409–413.
Baskin JM, Baskin CC (2004). A classification system for seed dormancy. Seed Sci Res 14: 1–16.
Bewley JD, Black M (1994). Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination. New York, NY, USA: Plenum Press.
Büyükkartal HN, Çölgeçen H, Pınar NM, Erdoğan N (2013). Seed coat ultrastructure of hard-seeded and soft-seeded varieties of Vicia sativa. Turk J Bot 37: 270–275.
Can E, Çeliktaş N, Hatipoğlu R, Avcı S (2009). Breaking seed dormancy of some annual Medicago and Trifolium species of different treatments. Turk J Field Crops 14: 72–78.
Carrión MA, Aznar L, Martínez JJ, Vicente MJ, Munuera M, Conesa E, Conesa F (2007). Luces y sombras en la conservación de
Astragalus nitidiflorus. Conservación Vegetal 11: 35–37 (in Spanish). Copete ME, Herranz JM, Ferrandis P, Baskin CC, Baskin JM (2011).
Physiology, morphology and phenology of seed dormancy break and germination in the endemic Iberian species Narcissus hispanicus (Amaryllidaceae). Ann Bot 107: 1003–1016.
Cowling RM, Rundel PW, Lamont BB, Arroyo MK, Arianoutsou M (1996). Plant diversity in Mediterranean regions. Trends Ecol Evol 11: 362–366.
Cruz A, Pérez B, Velasco A, Moreno JM (2003). Variability in seed germination at the intrapopulation and intraindividual levels of shrub Erica australis in response to fire-related cues. Plant Ecol 169: 93–103.
Dinç M, Aytaç Z, Dogŭ S (2013). A new species of Astragalus
(Fabaceae) from Turkey. Turk J Bot 37: 841–846. Dittus DA, Muir JP (2010). Breaking germination dormancy of texas native perennial herbaceous legumes. Native Plants 11: 5–10.
DOE (2001). Decreto 37/2001, de 6 de Marzo, por el que se regula el
Catálogo Regional de Especies Amenazadas de Extremadura. Diario Oficial de Extremadura (DOE), 13 de Marzo 2001, num. 30 (in Spanish).
Eisvand HR, Arefi HM, Tavakol R (2006). Effects of various treatments in breaking seed dormancy of Astragalus siliquosus.
Seed Sci Technol 34: 747–752. Ellis RH, Roberts EH (1981). The quantification of ageing and survival in orthodox seeds. Seed Sci Technol 9: 373–409.
Fenner M (1992). Seeds: The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
Fernández-Pascual E, Jiménez-Alfaro B, García-Torrico A, PérezGarcía F, Díaz TE (2012). Germination ecology of the perennial Centaurium somedanum, a specialist species of mountain springs. Seed Sci Res 22: 199–205.
Finch-Savage WE, Leubner-Metzger G (2006). Seed dormancy and the control of germination. New Phytol 171: 501–523.
Giménez-Benavides L, Escudero A, Pérez-García F (2005). Seed germination of high mountain Mediterranean species: altitudinal, interpopulation and interannual variability. Ecol Res 20: 433–444.
Gresta F, Avola G, Abate V (2007). Germination ecology of Scorpius subvillosus L. seeds: the role of temperature and storage time. Plant Ecol 190: 123–130.
Iriondo JM (2011). Atlas y Libro Rojo de la Flora Vascular Amenazada de España. Manual de Metodología del Trabajo Corológico y Demográfico. Madrid, Spain: Dirección General del Medio Natural y Política Forestal (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, y Medio Rural y Marino), Sociedad Española de Biología de la Conservación de Plantas (in Spanish).
Karaman Erkul S, Aytaç Z (2013). Astragalus yukselii (Leguminosae), a new species from Turkey. Turk J Bot 37: 836–840.
Kigel J (1995). Seed germination in arid and semiarid regions. In: Kigel J, Galili G, editors. Seed Development and Germination. New York, NY, USA: Marcel Dekker, pp. 645–699.
Kim SY, Oh SH, Hwang WH, Kim SM, Choi KJ, Kang HW (2008). Physical dormancy in seeds of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) from Korea. Korean J Crop Sci 53: 421–426.
Kimura E, Islam MA (2012). Seed scarification methods and their use in forage legumes. Res J Seed Sci 5: 38–50.
Lorite J, Ruiz-Girela M, Castro J (2007). Patterns of seed germination in Mediterranean mountains: study on 37 endemic or rare species from Sierra Nevada, SE Spain. Candollea 62: 5–16.
Martínez García F, Martínez Fernández V, Bermejo E (2010). Astragalus gines-lopezii. In: Bañares Á, Blanca G, Güemes J, Moreno JC, Ortiz S, editors. Atlas y Libro Rojo de la Flora Vascular Amenazada de España. Adenda 2010. Madrid, Spain: Dirección general del Medio Natural y Política Forestal (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, y Medio Rural y Marino)-Sociedad Española de Biología de la Conservación de Plantas, pp. 58–59 (in Spanish).
Martínez-Fernández V (2012). Evaluación del Estado de Conservación y Viabilidad Poblacional de Astragalus gineslopezii, un Endemismo Extremeño En Peligro (EN LR2008). Madrid, Spain: Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (in Spanish).
Martínez-Sánchez JJ, Segura F, Aguado M, Franco JA, Vicente MJ (2011). Life history and demographic features of Astragalus nitidiflorus, a critically endangered species. Flora 206: 423– 4
Moreno JC (2008). Lista Roja de la Flora Vascular Española Amenazada. Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino (in Spanish).
Morris AB, Baucom RS, Cruzan MB (2002). Stratified analysis of the soil seed bank in the cedar glade endemic Astragalus bibullatus: evidence for historical changes in genetic structure. Am J Bot 89: 29–36.
Pake CE, Venable DL (1996). Seed banks in desert annuals: implications for persistence and coexistence in variable environments. Ecology 77: 1427–1435.
Patane C, Gresta F (2006). Germination of Astragalus hamosus and Medicago orbicularis as affected by seed-coat dormancy breaking techniques. J Arid Environ 67: 165–173.
Pau C (1910). Astragalus nitidiflorus Jiménez et Pau. Bol Soc Aragonesa Ci Nat 9: 130–131 (in Spanish).
Pérez-García F (1993). Effect of the origin of the cypsela on germination of Onopordum acanthium L. (Asteraceae). Seed Sci Technol 21: 187–195.
Pérez-García F (2009). Germination characteristics and intrapopulation variation in carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) seeds.
Span J Agric Res 7: 398–406. Piotto B, Di Noi A (2003). Propagazione per Seme di Alberi e Arbusti della Flora Mediterranea. Rome, Italy: Agenzia Nazionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente (ANPA) (in Italian).
Podlech D (1999). Astragalus. In: Talavera S, Aedo C, Castroviejo S, Romero Zarco C, Sáez L, Salgueiro FJ, Velayos M, editors. Flora
Ibérica VII (I). Leguminosae. Madrid, Spain: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, pp. 279–338. Qaderi MM, Cavers PB (2000). Variation in germination response among local populations of Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium L. Seed Sci Technol 28: 881–886.
Qaderi MM, Cavers PB (2002). Interpopulation and interyear variation in germination in Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium L., grown in a common garden: genetics vs. environment. Plant Ecol 162: 1–8.
Qaderi MM, Presti A, Cavers PB (2005). Dry storage effects on germinability of Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) cypselas. Acta Oecol 27: 67–74.
Ramos S, Rincón S, Vázquez FM (2010). Distribution and germination characteristics of Astragalus gines-lopezii: an endangered species. Ann Bot Fennici 47: 330–336.
Rostami AA, Shasvar A (2009). Effects of seed scarification on seed germination and early growth of olive seedlings. J Biol Sci 9: 825–828.
Russi L, Cocks PS, Roberts EH (1992). Hard-seededness and seed bank dynamics of six pasture legumes. Seed Sci Res 2: 231–241.
Silveira FAO, Fernandes GW (2006). Effect of light, temperature and scarification on the germination of Mimosa foliosa
(Leguminosae) seeds. Seed Sci Technol 34: 585–592. Talavera S (1999). Sobre el tratamiento de la Tribu Astragaleae
Bercht. & J. Presl (Papilioideae, Leguminosae) en Flora Ibérica. Anales Jard Bot 57: 218–220 (in Spanish). Talavera S, Salgueiro FJ (1999). Sobre el tratamiento de la familia
Leguminosae en Flora Ibérica. Lagascalia 21: 155–222 (in Spanish). Thanos CA, Georghiou K, Kadis C, Pantazi C (1992). Cistaceae. A plant family with hard seeds. Isr J Bot 41: 251–263.
UICN (2001). Categorías y Criterios de la Lista Roja de la UICN: Versión 3.1. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: Comisión de Supervivencia de Especies de la UICN (in Spanish).
Van Assche JA, Debucquoy KLA, Rommens WAF (2003). Seasonal cycles in the germination capacity of buried seeds of some Leguminosae (Fabaceae). New Phytol 158: 315–323.
Vázquez FM, Dominguez E, Devesa JA (1991). Nueva localidad de
Astragalus nitidiflorus Jiménez y Pau en España. Acta Bot Malac 16: 486 (in Spanish). Venable DL (2007). Bet hedging in a guild of desert annuals. Ecology 88: 1086–1090.
Zeng LW, Cocks PS, Kailis SG (2005). Softening of impermeable seeds of six Mediterranean annual legumes on the soil surface and buried beneath the soil surface. Seed Sci Technol 33: 551–556.