Volume 24, Issue 73, January - June, 2023

An unusual seed germination response to unexpected weather event in Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (Fabaceae)

Sridhar Reddy M¹, Sadasivaiah B^2♦

¹Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India
²Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, Dr. B. R. R. College Jadcherla, Telangana, India

^♦Corresponding author
Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, Dr. B. R. R. College Jadcherla, Telangana India

ABSTRACT

Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (The flame of the forest), belongs to Fabaceae (subfamily Fabaoideae) produces single-seeded wind dispersed pods with flat, obovate, reniform, seed having a small hilum and thin papery reddish-brown testa (Lohot et al., 2016). It was reported that pod weight is important in determining the seed size and mass as their appropriate dimensions arise from the tradeoff between the seedling fitness and dispersal efficiency (Ganeshaiah and UmaShaanker, 1991). The seeds mature during April to May in the hot dry season and are dispersed before the onset of monsoon rains in June-July. The seeds of B. monosperma show physical dormancy; further the leathery tomentose pod, optimum seed size and tough seed coat (Lohot et al., 2016) enables the seed to germinate during a sustained long spell of rains that occur in the rainy season but not during the periods of isolated and brief drizzles that occur in the dry season (Khurana and Singh, 2001). Thus, microsites that provide high soil moisture content becomes key factor for successful seed germination as they enhance the ability of seed to imbibe enough water that forms a cue for germination.

Keywords: Butea monosperma, Fabaceae, germination, microsites, phenological patterns

Species, 2023, 24(73), e21s1022

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e21s1022

Published: 5 March 2023