30 



GROWTH OF PLANTS 



were 105 years. Becquerel believes the long life span in all these seeds is 

 made possible by impermeability of the coats, which prevents any exchange 

 of gases or water between the embryo and endosperm and the outside 

 atmosphere, and by the high degree of desiccation, 2 to 5 per cent mois- 

 ture, and absence of oxygen in which the embryos exist within the hard 

 coats. Late work shows that hard seeds of Alhizzia julibrissin in the British 

 Museum ^^ were alive after 149 years, and seeds of Nelumhium (Robert 

 Brown's collection) after 250 years of storage. 



Table 2. Turner's Record of Old Seeds 



Turner," of Kew Botanical Garden, tested the vitality of old seeds from 

 several sources. All the viable seeds were hard-coated and were treated with 

 sulfuric acid to render the coats permeable. Table 2 gives data on the seeds 

 he found viable. 



Schjelderup-Ebbe •'•'^ tested the vitality of 1254 batches and nearly as 

 many species of seeds stored in bottles or paper bags for 34 to 1 1 2 years. The 

 oldest living sort found by this author is that of Astragalus utriger, 82 years 

 old, with 6 per cent germination. Some kinds that were not so old showed 

 relatively high percentages of germination. The following families are 

 represented by these macrobiotic seeds: Cannaceae, Leguminosae, Euphor- 

 biaceae, Malvaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae, and Com- 

 positae. 



Of more than 1400 sorts (including species and varieties) of old seeds 

 tested, Ewart ^^ found 49 that retained their vitality after more than 50 

 years of storage: 37 Leguminosae, genera Acacia, Alhizzia, Canavalia, 

 Cytisus, Eutaxia, Galega, Gompholobiiim, Goodia, Hardenhergia, Hovea, 

 Indigofera, Jacksonia, Kennedya, Melilotus, Mimosa, Oxylobium, Psoralea, 

 and Pultenaea; 4 Malvaceae, genera Ahutilon, Hibiscus, Modiola, and Sida; 

 1 Tiliaceae, genus Entelea; 2 Euphorbiaceae, genera Euphorbia and Pseu- 

 danthus; 1 Labiatae, genus Stachys; 1 Iridaceae, genus Watsotiia; 1 Ster- 

 culiaceae, genus Hermannia; and 1 Polygaleae, genus Comesperma. Amongst 

 these were Goodia lotifolia, 105 j'^ears old with 7.7 per cent germination, 

 and Hovea linearis, 105 years old with 17 per cent germination. Seeds of 

 several species show relatively high germination in spite of great age: Cytisus 



