[Germination strategy and ecological adaptability of Eragrostis pilosa]

The study on the germination strategy of Eragrostis pilosa under different storage and environmental conditions showed that freshly collected E. pilosa seeds had a stronger innate dormancy. Chilling and dry storage for 4 months had no obvious effect on releasing from dormancy, while longer time storage could facilitate seed maturation. The seeds could germinate either in light or in darkness, and stronger light was in favor of germination. The optimal temperature for germination was 28 degrees C, while higher or lower temperature could result in the decrease of germination. The germination percentage of seeds under changed temperature (16 to 28 degrees C) was higher than that under constant temperature (28 degrees C), but with no significant difference. The critical amount of rain for seed germination was about 10 mm, and the germination percentage and duration all increased with increasing rainfall. E. pilosa had two germination strategies, i. e., quick germination and dormancy for more than one year. Based on the seed morphological characters and germination strategies, it could be concluded that E. pilosa had a persistent soil seed bank.