Abstract
Germination in many arable weeds and herbaceous plants of marshland and heathland depends on exposure of the seed to unfiltered sunlight1–4. In contrast, seeds of many grasses, legumes and woody species exhibit no such requirement and are capable of germination in darkness1–4. These interspecific differences are apparent in seeds immediately after their removal from the parent plant and in theory could be due to major differences in seed physiology. Here we present evidence supporting the alternative hypothesis that the contrasting responses to light are imposed by differences in the light-filtering properties of the maternal tissues which surround the developing seeds.
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Cresswell, E., Grime, J. Induction of a light requirement during seed development and its ecological consequences. Nature 291, 583–585 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291583a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/291583a0
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