ArticleAnnals of botany2021
Evolution and ecology of seed internal morphology in relation to germination characteristics in Amaranthaceae.
Article in Annals of botany, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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10 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Seed Germination as an Adaptive Response in Halophytes.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Over-expression transcription factor ERF1 promotes seed germination by enhancing mitochondrial function.Plant cell reports · 2026Article
- The role of ecological niche and seed mass in macroevolution of germination tolerance to salinity.Annals of botany · 2026Article
- Genomic signatures of adaptation in seed traits in the wild plant Brassica incana.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Global Patterns in the Evolutionary Relations Between Seed Mass and Germination Traits.Ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Self-Pollinated Types and Ecological Adaptations of the Desert PlantPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The seed morphospace, a new contribution towards the multidimensional study of angiosperm sexual reproductive biology.Annals of botany · 2024Article
- Evolution of seed characters and of dispersal modes in Aizoaceae.Frontiers in plant science · 2023Article
- Distinct hormonal and morphological control of dormancy and germination inFrontiers in plant science · 2023Article
- Low availability of functional seed trait data from the tropics could negatively affect global macroecological studies, predictive models and plant conservation.Annals of botany · 2022Review
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsInternal seed morphological traits such as embryo characteristics and nutritive tissue can vary considerably within a plant lineage. These traits play a prominent role in germination processes and the success of seedling establishment, and are therefore under high selective pressure, especially in environments hostile to seedlings, such as arid, saline or highly dynamic habitats. We investigated the relationships of seed internal morphology and germination characteristics of 84 species of Amaranthaceae s.l., a family with numerous lineages that have adapted to stressful growing conditions.
methodsWe used seed cross-sections to assess embryo type and the ratios of embryo to seed surface and radicle to cotyledon length. Furthermore, seed mass, mean time to germination, habitat preferences and further plant traits such as C3 or C4 photosynthesis and life form were compiled for each species. Data were analysed using phylogenetic comparative methods. KEY
resultsWe found embryo type (λ = 1), log seed mass (λ = 0.86) and the ratio of embryo to seed size (λ = 0.78) to be evolutionarily stable, with an annular embryo as ancestral in the family. Linked to shifts to the three derived embryos types (spiral, horseshoe-shaped and curved) is an increase in the ratio of root to cotyledon length and a reduction of nutritive tissue. We observed stabilizing selection towards seeds with relatively large embryos with longer radicles and less nutritive tissue that are able to germinate faster, especially in lineages with C4 photosynthesis and/or salt tolerance.
conclusionsWe conclude that the evolutionary shift of nutrient storage from perisperm to embryo provides an ecological advantage in extreme environments, because it enables faster germination and seedling establishment. Furthermore, the evolutionary shift towards a higher ratio of root to cotyledon length especially in small-seeded Amaranthaceae growing in saline habitats can provide an ecological advantage for fast seedling establishment.
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