Antifungal activity in seed coat extracts of woodland plants

Aqueous extracts from seeds of four woodland ground flora species (Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Allium ursinum, Digitalis purpurea and Hypericum pulchrum) were tested for antifungal activity using a petriplate technique. Four species of fungi were investigated. The growth of three of these (Trichoderma viride, Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium sp.) was not affected by any of the seed coat extracts. The growth of Botrytis cinerea was inhibited by the seed coat extracts of Digitalis purpurea and Hypericum pulchrum but not by those of Hyacinthoides non-scripta or Allium ursinum. The buried seeds of Digitalis purpurea and Hypericum pulchrum can survive in woodland soils for long periods, whereas those of Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Allium ursinum are short-lived. The presence of antifungal agents in the seed coats of persistent species and their possible role in protecting seeds against fungal pathogens is discussed.