Effect of seed size in the germination of Astrophytum myriostigma LEMAIRE. (Cactaceae), a species threatened with extinction

Astrophytum myriostigma Lem. is a threatened endemic cactus from the Chihuahuan Desert, in Mexico. In order to promote its conservation, a germination experiment was performed with 4 years old seeds from a population which disappeared due to mining activities. Germination speed and percentage were evaluated in small and large seeds which differed significantly in length (P = 0.003) and dry weight (P < 0.0001), but not in diameter. Treatments were H2SO4, distilled water immersion, mechanical scarification and low temperature. Germination percentage varied for different treatments, seed size and treatment x size interaction. Immersing seeds in distilled water or low temperature had the highest germination percentages. Small seeds showed higher germination percentages than the control for all treatments except scarification, for which germination was indistinguishably low for both seed size categories. Germination speed did not vary in response to germination treatment, but it did in response to seed size and treatment x size interaction. Small seeds germinated faster (3.8 seeds/day) than large seeds (1.6 seeds/day). Under H2SO4 treatment small seeds germinated faster than large ones. Scarification with sand paper had the opposite effect, large seeds germinated faster than small ones. In conclusion, small 4 year old seeds showed higher and faster germination than large seeds. In general, small seeds might have had higher germination percentages as a result of faster water uptake or because of a strategy for small seeds to become part of a soil seed bank and thus defer germination. Further specific studies are required to test these hypotheses.