Evaluation of reproductive sucess and conservation strategies for Senecio coincyi (Asteraceae), a narrow and threatened species

Senecio coincyi is a threatened endemic plant of central western Spain, with a very narrow extent of occurrence. The reproductive success and germination behaviour of this species were studied. The area of occupancy, habitat types and size of 13 known subpopulations of S. coincyi were evaluated. The number of individuals that form all these subpopulations was counted. In addition, the number of flowers and cypselas per fruit head and the number of fruit heads per individual plant were recorded in a subset of subpopulations. Germination tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of temperature and light regimes on, and possible intraspecific variation in, cypsela germination. Cypselas reached very high germination percentages (90?100%) from 15?C to 30?C. However, the germination decreased (19%) at 10?C. The light conditions assayed (16-h light photoperiod and complete darkness) did not significantly affect cypsela germination. In general, there was no intraspecific variability in germination patterns of S. coincyi cypselas. Livestock is the most important factor that can be a threat for this species. S. coincyi showed high reproductive success and, therefore, its conservation problems are not due to agents related to its reproduction, but rather to other factors such as alteration of its habitat caused by the presence of livestock

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.Vazquez (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 anexhaustive 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

Biología reproductiva de Astragalus gines-lopezii Talavera et al.

Astragalus gines-lopezii Talavera et al. se encuentra incluido en la Lista Roja 2008 en la categoría En Peligro (EN). Es un endemismo de área de distribución muy reducida, que tan solo cuenta con 2 poblaciones y un escaso número de ejemplares (menos que 1000). Con el objetivo de detectar posibles amenazas, hemos estudiado diferentes aspectos de su biología reproductiva: 1.- Capacidad de producir semillas viables. De 50 individuos hemos contamos, in situ, el nº de inflorescencias y el nº de flores de cada una. Posteriormente colectamos las legumbres maduras y contamos, medimos y pesamos sus semillas. En laboratorio realizamos ensayos de germinación 2.- Análisis de la capacidad germinativa de la especie en su conjunto y de cada una de sus poblaciones Las semillas se incubaron a las Tas alternas 25/15ºC, fotoperiodo de 16 h/luz y 8/oscuridad. Unas, sin ningún tratamiento previo, alcanzaron porcentajes de germinación entre 0 % y 60 %, según los diferentes individuos; sin embargo, las escarificadas alcanzaron porcentajes finales entre 60 y 100 %. En conclusión, se puede afirmar que las semillas de Astragalus gines-lopezii presentan dormición física debida a su cubierta dura e impermeable al agua. En condiciones naturales, el progresivo desgaste de la cubierta seminal por diversos factores (erosión, microorganismos, variación de temperaturas, etc.) permiten la germinación de las semillas de esta especie de forma gradual

Foliage colour influence on seed germination of Bienertia cycloptera in Arabian deserts

Bienertia cycloptera (Chenopodiaceae) produces two types of leaf foliage colour (reddish and yellowish). In order to determine the role of leaf colour variation in regulating the germination characteristics and salinity tolerance during germination, a study was conducted on seeds collected from plants of both colours. Seeds with and without pulp were germinated under two illumination conditions (12-h light photoperiod and continuous dark), three alternating temperature regimes (15/25°C, 20/30°C and 25/35°C), and several salinity levels at 20/30°C. Germination percentage was significantly higher for seeds without pulp as compared to the seeds with pulp. The response of B. cycloptera seeds to salinity depended on the leaf colour. Thus, the seeds collected from reddish coloured plants were able to tolerate higher salinity compared to those of yellowish coloured plant. The germination recovery results indicate that the seeds from both coloured plants could remain viable in saline condition and they will be able to germinate once the salinity level are decreased by rain. The production of different foliage colours by B. cycloptera seems to be an adaptative strategy which increases the possibility for establishment in unpredictable environments by producing seeds with different germination requirements and salinity tolerance

Evaluation of reproductive success in Senecio coincyi Rouy, a threatened species from Spain

Senecio coincyi Rouy (Asteraceae) is a threatened endemic species from the mountains of Sierra de Gredos, centraf western Spain. This species is protected by the Autonomous Community of Castile and León (Spain) and is included in the "In danger of extinction" category in the protected flora catalogue of that region. It was later catalogued as Vulnerable (VU) on the Red List of Threatened Spanish Vascular Flora (Moreno et al., 2008). In this paper, the results of a two-year investigation of S. coincyi population biology are shown. The aim of this work was to study several aspects of S. coincyi reproductive biology

Seed production and germination of the endangered species Astragalus gines-lopezii

Astragalus gines-lopeziiTalavera era/. {Fabaceae} is an endemic species from southwest Spain with a very limited area of distribution. There are only two known populations of this species, totaling less than 1000 individuals. This species was included on the Red List of Threatened Spanish Vascular Flora in 2008 in the category Endangered (EN) (Moreno 2008). The restricted area of distribution, limited number of individuals and their population structure could represent a high risk for survival of this species. Therefore, in order to detect potential threats, we have studied some key aspects of its reproductive biology. Fructification success and seed production were evaluated, and morphological and physiological seed variability were also studied

Morphological and germination response variability in seeds of wild yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea L.) accessions from northwest Spain

Gentiana lutea L. (yellow gentian, Gentianaceae) is an important medicinal plant under protection as endangered species in most European countries. The aim of this work was to evaluate variation in seed mass, seed water content, and seed germination among 56 wild accessions of G. lutea. The effect of gibberellic acid (GA3), putrescine, moist chilling, and level of ripeness of seeds on subsequent germination was also investigated. Seeds of G. lutea showed physiological dormancy (final germination percentages ranged from 0% to 11%, depending on the accession) and GA3 enhanced seed germination drastically in all the accessions. The highest germination (99%) of GA3-treated seeds was reached at 15 °C. Final germination percentage and germination rate (as expressed by mean germination time), as well as seed mass and seed water content, varied significantly among accessions. In general, 1 year moist chilling did not significantly enhance G. lutea seed germination. For most accessions, no significant differences were found between fully ripe seeds and less ripe seeds for seed water content, seed mass, and seed germination. Applications of GA3 were always most effective than those of putrescine for increasing seed germination

Seed germination characteristics of Phillyrea angustifolia L. and P. latifolia L. (Oleaceae), two Mediterranean shrub species having lignified endocarp

The aim of this study was to determine the germination characteristics of Phillyrea angustifolia L. and P. latifolia L. seeds in order to develop an optimized propagation protocol for Phillyrea species. Seeds of P. angustifolia and P. latifolia were collected from wild plants growing in Cáceres province (CW Spain) and Andalucía (S Spain), respectively. Percentage of water uptake for P. latifolia seeds was calculated. Seeds with and without endocarp were germinated at different constant and alternating temperatures. Seeds without endocarp were soaked in distilled water or gibberellic acid, and then set to germinate. Seeds with endocarp of both species were stratified at 5 ºC for 30 or 90 days and then the endocarp was completely removed from the seeds before they were sowed. Chemical scarification with sulfuric acid and mechanical scarification were tested on P. angustifolia seeds with endocarp. Phillyrea endocarp was permeable to water, since Phillyrea seeds with endocarp imbibed water, but water uptake was faster when the endocarp was removed. Moreover, the encodarp could interfere mechanically in the emergence of the radicle, since seed germination of Phillyrea species was promoted by the complete removal of the lignified endocarp surrounding each seed. Optimal germination temperature for both species was 15 ºC, and lower temperatures produced secondary dormancy. Soaking in distilled water or gibberellic acid did not significantly enhance seed germination. Cold stratification and chemical scarification treatments were detrimental for seed germination. Keywords cold stratification, Phillyrea species, treatments before sowing, seed germination, seed scarification, lignified endocarp

Optimizing seed conservation protocols and cryopreservation at the CRF-INIA genebank to reduce genetic erosion

The CRF-INIA is the Spanish National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources where a duplicate of all seed active collections belonging to the Spanish Network of the National PGR Program should be deposited. First samples date from 1980?s. Nowadays, the long term collection (base collection) comprises approximately 39,000 samples. The CRF-INIA genebank also maintains the largest active collection in Spain, with up to 22.000 accessions, meanly of cereals and grain legumes. At the CRF-INIA genebank the seed conservation protocol follows the FAO/IPGRI recommendations: seed desiccation at 13-15% RH and 20 °C, and storage at -4 or -18 °C, for the active and base collections, respectively. Seed viability monitoring is performed systematically through germination tests. For most species, the current conservation protocol shows good performance (Martín et al. 2014). However, in some plant groups there is an accumulation of samples with low longevity, for which sample regeneration is costly. For example, after 20 or 30 years of storage, some accessions of Brassica ssp., Lactuca sativa or Secale cereale, have shown low seed viability after storage. In some cases, samples with low germination rates might be not only due to low longevity but also to other reasons, such as problems with dormancy interfiering with the germination test performance and low initial quality of the samples. The general aim of this project is to find alternative storage protocols to reduce genetic erosion, present and future, of the conserved material at the CRF-INIA seedbank. Cryoconservation of seeds at different water contents are being tested in species with low seed longevity and of problematic regeneration (rye, onion and cabbage). Results would be compared to the conventional storage at -18 °C after medium/long term storage

Extensor medii proprius: A cadaveric case study

Abstract: During routine dissection of 11 cadavers that originated with the Body Donor Program at PCOM Georgia, a 69-year-old male with bilateral extensor anomalies in the dorsal forearm compartment was encountered. The distinct muscle belly, identified as the extensor medii proprius, originated from the distal ulna and inserted into the dorsal aponeurosis of the third digit. Manual traction of the right tendon resulted in extension of the third digit, suggesting functional significance of the anomalous muscle. This case study analyzes the extensor medii proprius found during dissection, its prevalence, embryologic origins, and clinical significance. The presence of the extensor medii proprius muscle and tendon must be considered when assessing pain in the dorsum of the hand and when preparing for surgical repair or tendon transfer