Abstract
The three of the Astavarga (8) species, Lilium polyphyllum (Kshirakakoli), Polygonatum verticillatum (Meda) and P. cirrhifolium (Mahameda), were included in the study. The seed viability test showed very low viability (22.5%) for L. polyphyllum, which was improved by hand pollination. These species possessed seed dormancy from 28 days to over two years. Gibberelic acid treatments of 1000 and 2000 ppm in combination with scarification of soaked seeds gave species specific results for breaking seed dormancy. The species included were described to have deep simple epicotyls morpho-physiological type of dormancy. They were found to have peculiar phenophases of seed germination, which have been discussed in detail along with diagrams.
Keywords
Seed Biology, Dormancy, Phenophases, Meda, Mahameda, Astavarga, Kshirakakoli, Lilium polyphyllum, Polygonatum verticillatum, Polygonatum cirrhifolium