EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA 



36° N. Lat. 



OREGON 



INLET 



^— OCRACOKE 





BEAUFORT 



SURF CITY 



OAK ISLAND 



Figure 17. Location of seed collections in North Carolina. 



seeds were placed in canisters to exclude light, and were subjected to an 

 alternating thermoperiod of 7 hours at 35° Centigrade and 17 hours at 18° 

 Centigrade in a growth chamber. Germinating seed, indicated by the emer- 

 gence of the epicotyl, were counted after 5, 7, 9, 21 and 30 days. Since 

 none of the seeds subjected to freeze-drying germinated, the results of 

 this treatment were deleted from the statistical analysis. Germination 

 failure of freeze-dried seed is consistent with the findings of Mooring, 

 Cooper, and Seneca (1971) , and showed S. alterniflora seed must remain 

 moist to retain viability. 



Results of the effect of storage treatment on germination indicate 

 that freezing, either dry or in estuarine water, was clearly detrimental 

 to germination of seeds from all locations (Fig. 18). Freezing was 

 particularly harmful to seed from Surf City and Oak Island. Germination 

 of seed from Oregon Inlet, Ocracoke and Beaufort, which were stored frozen 

 was fair; however, germination was delayed. This indicates that the after- 

 ripening or development process of the seed was retarded while the seed 

 were frozen. 



48 



