Abstract
Seed germination characteristics of 3 native coastal forest species in Taiwan were examined in
this study. Effects of seed moisture contents (MCs) and storage temperatures on germination were
investigated to determine their seed storage behavior. Results showed that seeds of Drypetes littoralis
and Premna serratifolia exhibited no dormancy and germinated within 4 wk under fluctuating
temperatures of 30/20℃ with 8 h of light. In contrast, seeds of Garcinia subelliptica germinated
slowly, and viable seeds took 22 wk for complete germination. At MCs of 2.3~11.3% (on a freshweight
basis), P. serratifolia seeds maintained their viability after 24 mo of storage at -20~15℃.
The results suggest that P. serratifolia seeds show orthodox seed storage behavior. The larger fresh
mature seeds of G. subelliptica and D. littoralis were extremely sensitive to desiccation and low
temperatures. They lost viability when the MC dropped to about 30%, and seed germinability decreased
rapidly at storage temperatures of < 4℃. Moreover, the maximum seed longevities of the 2
species were 28 and 60 d with 4℃ wet storage. In addition, G. subelliptica seeds maintained their
initial germinability for 0.5 yr when stored at 15℃ with moist sphagnum. Thus, seeds of G. subelliptica
and D. littoralis are defined as having tropical-recalcitrant storage behavior. Based on the
above findings, we suggest that tropical-recalcitrant seeds with no dormancy should be sown immediately
instead of being stored after depulping.