Abstract

Since the 17th century, understanding the germination ecology of Fagaceae fruits has attracted considerable interest. However, several questions remain, including: (i) How widespread is the coexistence of dormancy and desiccation-sensitivity (DS)? (ii) What kind of dormancy do Fagaceae fruits/acorns have? (iii) How common is epicotyl dormancy in Fagaceae fruits/acorns? (iv) What is the influence of embryonic axis position in Fagaceae fruits/acorns in relation to germination? Our literature synthesis shows that most—but not all—Fagaceae fruits/acorns are desiccation-sensitive. Many Quercus species have either physiological dormancy (PD) or epicotyl physiological dormancy (ePD), though the latter has been hitherto underestimated. Here, we propose a new classification system for Fagaceae species and identify two germination types: Type-I and Type-II. Further, we subdivide Type-I into Type-IA adjacent lingular (radicle extends through the apex and shoots develop close to the fruits/acorns) and Type-IS adjacent lingular (radicle extends near the scar and shoots develop close to the fruits/acorns), and Type-II into Type-IIA remote tubular, where the radicle extends through the apex or near the scar (Type-IIS), but shoots emerge at a distance from the fruits/acorns. Why the embryonic axis position varies between species cannot be explained based on phylogenetic relationships.

This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://dbpia.nl.go.kr/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights)
You do not currently have access to this article.