EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND SOWING DEPTH ON SEED GERMINATION IN CLEOME GYNANDRA L. (CAPPARACEAE)

Cleome gynandra is a wild vegetable that is rich in nutrients especially vitamins, mineral elements and protein. It is consumed in most parts of South Africa as a vegetable. The leaves and seeds of this plant are used in folkloric medicine for the treatment of head and stomach aches. Despite its high dietary-medicinal value, the plant is still regarded as a weed in many Provinces of South Africa while the conditions necessary for its optimum growth in the wild are still obscure. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effect of various environmental factors and sowing depth on the germination of two types of seeds of C. gynandra in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The result shows that the average seed weight was 1.2 +/- 0.003 mg and the viability of Lot A and B were 22.6 +/- 2.3% and 67.3 +/- 5.0% respectively. The optimum germination was achieved at 30 degrees C for both Lots A and B when watered biweekly at a sowing depth of 0.5 cm. The result also showed that germination was best in the dark (28.7%) for both Lot A and B. In overall, the germination rate under all the conditions was highest in Lot B. This study indicates that Cleome gynandra has the potential of thriving successfully under varied environmental conditions despite the great fluctuations of temperatures in South Africa during summer and winter respectively.