Germination characteristics of seeds of Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L. B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae) - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v32i2.1693

Abstract

Ananas ananassoides is a perennial plant with ornamental potential because of flowers and bracts with exuberant colors and herbaceous development where the leaves have spiny margins that are distributed in rosettes. The objective of this experiment with six completely randomized treatments and four replicates of 25 seeds was to evaluate the effects of seed soaking into distilled water at environmental temperature (25 ± 1.5°C) for 24, 48, and 72h; seed soaking into water at 90°C for 2 minutes; seed soaking into sulfuric acid p.a. for 2 minutes followed by tap water washing for 24h, and the control. Thereafter, 4-month-old seeds were immersed into water at 90°C for 2 minutes and compared to the intact seeds (control). Initially, the highest percentage of germination (G=92%) was evaluated in newly collected seeds that were immersed in water at 90°C for 2 minutes. No increases in the percentage of seed germination were detected by seed soaking into water or sulfuric acid in comparison to the seeds that were immersed in water at 90°C for 2 minutes. However, the percentage of germination was higher than 96% when the seeds were stored for four months. No difference in the mean time to germination was detected between newly collected (between 21.0 and 26.8 days) and stored seeds (between 18.4 and 19.5 days). The germination of newly collected and stored seeds was slow and distributed throughout the experimental time.