[A primary study on seed production of medicinal plant Sinopodophyllum hexandrum]

The study on the seed production of five Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Berberidaceae) populations demonstrated that the average ovule number, average seed number and seed set ratio of these populations were varied, but all positively related with the altitude of the population. The average ovule number of a flower ranged from 58.79 to 87.97, average seed number of a fruit ranged from 40.02 to 80.58, and average seed set ratio of population ranged from 61.29% to 91.60%. The average weight per seed in a fruit was negatively related with the altitude and seed number in the fruit. The result also showed that seed production of a population had no obvious difference in different years. Although seed production was mainly influenced by nutrition condition of the individual, it was still influenced by altitude and other factors. Seed number in a fruit was positively related with fruit size(including weight, length and width) and total seed weight of the fruit, but average single seed weight of a fruit had no obvious relation with fruit size and total seed weight of the fruit.