Seed germination of species of the Juan Fernández archipiélago under laboratory conditions

The Juan Fernández Islands contain one of the world's most interesting floras. However, their conservation status is fragile due to direct and indirect human activities. With the aim of contributing to the conservation of the native species of these islands, germination trials have been performed under laboratory conditions. We studied the germination patterns and characteristics of 25 taxa of the archipelago, at temperatures between 15° C and 25° C, with 12.5 h. of photoperiod. Thirty-five percent of the studied species germinated immediately (within the first month after sowing), while 50% had a delayed germination. Three species did not germinate. Regarding the germination pattern, nine taxa (53%) germinated synchronously (³ 90% of seeds germinated within a month after the first germination), while the remaining 47% germinated asynchronously. Most species showed a high germinative potential (³50% of germination). Generally, the germination results were good for most species assayed, with few species requiring special treatments as scarification. For each species, the pre-germinative treatments, germination characteristics and patterns are detailed and discussed in relation to other published antecedents.