Longevity of Seeds. 1U5 



when older these seeds will aferrainate \u darkness. On the 

 other hand, certain seeds, such as those of Nigella sativa, X. 

 damascena. Allium and Asphodelus were found by Kinzel to 

 refused to germinate when exposed to strong light, and appeared to 

 permanently lose their vitality if the exposure was prolonged. 

 Further, if these seeds were exposed to one day's gaslight after 

 being 1 day moist in darkness, their germination was stopped, 

 and could only be reawakened by treatment with proteolytic 

 enzymes after drying and re-moistening, aided by aeration and 

 high temperatures. Kinzel followed Acton's conclusion that The 

 loss of the power of germination was due to the destruction of 

 the enzymes contained in the seed, but the evidence is not such 

 as to warrant this conclusion, and the observation that treatment 

 with enzymes may increaise the percentage germination of certain 

 old seeds^ may be the result of error or of an action on the seed 

 coats. Jodin,'- in fact, denied that light affected either the 

 vitality or the germination of seeds, whereas Laurent" concluded 

 that it retarded germination and injured the vitality of resting 

 seeds. 



Delayed Germination and After Ripening. — According to 

 AViesner,^ seeds of Viscum are ripe in autumn, but will only 

 germinate the following spring. There is no visible change in 

 the seed, but Wiesner supposes that during this time a production 

 of ferment takes place which prepares the way for germination. 

 Goebel' mentions that certain early flowering plants have seeds 

 which contain immature embryoes. These slowly enlarge and 

 ripen during summer, and are ready to germinate or to complete 

 germination in the following spriiig. This applies to the seeds of 

 Eranthis hyemalis, Ranunculus Ficaria, Anemone Corydal i.-i. 

 and possibly also Stylidium, Gagea and Erythronium. These 

 seeds apparently have no resting period, but mature slowly up 

 to the time of germination. 



1 Thompson, Garten flora 45, 344, 1836 ; Waugh, Ann. Rpt. Vt. Ajrr. Rxp. St. 1896-7 ;. 

 Sciemre, iv., s. 6, 950, 1S97 : Sharpe, Mess. Hatch. Kxp. St., 1001, p. 74. See also Albo 

 Archiv. Sci. Phy. et iiat., 25, 1908, p. 45. 



2 Conipt. rend., t. cxxxv., p. 1229. See also Tanune, Landw. .Jalirb., 1900, bd. xxix., 

 p. 467. 



3 Compt. rend. t. cxxxv., pp. 1091, 1293. 



4 Biol, de Fflanzen, 1902, p. 55. 



5 Organography, ii., p. 249, 1905. 



