Meliosma rhoifolia is a deciduous tree species native to Taiwan, belonging to the family
Sabiaceae. With its annual blooming, abundant crown floral coverage, and rich nectar and pollen
attractive to insects and bees, M. rhoifolia has great potential as a honey plant for afforestation
in Taiwan. This study investigated the germination characteristics and seed storability of M.
rhoifolia. The effects of seed moisture content (MC) and storage temperature on germination were
evaluated to determine the species’ seed storage behavior and to assess the feasibility of long-term
conservation storage of seeds. Results showed that fresh mature seeds of M. rhoifolia were deeply
dormant. No seeds germinated within 12 weeks under alternating temperatures of 30/20℃ with
8 hours of light. However, moist stratification at 4℃ effectively promoted seed germination and
significantly reduced mean germination time. When the chilling period was extended to 3 months,
seed dormancy was completely broken, allowing viable seeds to fully germinate within 4 weeks.
In addition, seeds began to germinate in dark cold conditions after 4 months of stratification at 4℃.
Therefore, moist stratification at 4℃ is not suitable to store seeds of this species for a long time.
Seeds of M. rhoifolia dehydrated to MC of 2.7-11.7% retained viability after 2 years of storage at
-196℃ and -20℃. Based on these results, seeds of M. rhoifolia are classified as having orthodox
storage behavior due to their dehydration tolerance and high viability at sub-zero temperatures.
Thus, for long-term plant germplasm conservation, it is recommended that seeds of M. rhoifolia be
dehydrated to 5-7% MC, hermetically sealed, and stored at sub-zero temperatures. However, for
short-term storage of up to 2 years, seed MC can be reduced to 5-11%, if hermetically sealed, and
stored at 4℃.