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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Invasive Species and Pollinator Health » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #153792
Title: GERMINATION AND SEEDBED ECOLOGY OF CENTAUREA MACULOSA LAM. SEEDS.

Author
item Young, James
item Clements, Darin - Charlie
item Harmon, Daniel - Dan

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/19/2003
Publication Date: 2/11/2004
Citation: Young, J.A., Clements, D.D., Harmon, D.N. 2004. Germination and seedbed ecology of centaurea maculosa lam. seeds [abstract]. Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts. 44:38.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa Lam.) is a biennial species of the notoriously weedy genus Centaurea that has been accidentally introduced to North America from Europe and Asia. This species is widely distributed in western North America where it has invaded numerous rangeland communities. As an integral part of a study of the seed and seedbed ecology of all of the weed and horticultural species of Centaurea, we tested the germination of accessions of spotted knapweed seeds at 55 constant or alternating temperatures ranging from 0 through 40 C. Data from these experiments were used to construct quadratic response surfaces for germination in relation to incubation temperature. There was no marked differences in germination characteristics of freshly harvested versus test conducted 90 days after seed collection. All accessions had 100% germination at least incubation temperature. All accessions had some germination a minimum of 96% of the 55 temperatures used in the experiments. Only very cold and very warm incubation temperatures markedly reduced germination.