THE EFFECT OF THE INTERACTION OF TEMPERATURE WITH AFTER-RIPENING REQUIREMENT AND COMPENSATING TEMPERATURE ON GERMINATION OF SEED OF FIVE SPECIES OF ROSA

Seeds of 5 rose species, Rosa multiflora Thunb. ‘Cathayensis,’ R. × reversa Waldst. & Kit., R. setigera Michx. ‘Beltsville,’ R. setigera Michx. ‘Serena,’ and R. wichuraiana Crepin, varied in after-ripening requirement from 30 days at 4.4 C for R. multiflora to 90 days for R. setigera ‘Serena.’ The compensating temperature varied from near 12.8 C for R. × reversa to a value near 29.4 C for R. setigera ‘Beltsville.’ In this report compensating temperature is used to describe that temperature at which mature, moist seed does not germinate, after-ripening does not take place, and dormancy does not change. Seed germination was reduced by interruption of the after-ripening period with intervals at temperatures above the compensating temperature. The interruptions were more effective in reducing germination when more frequent and when the temperature during the interval was higher. Species differed in their sensitivity to high-temperature reduction of germination. Those having the longest after-ripening requirement were most sensitive. Germination of seeds which had the minimum after-ripening treatment was repressed more by high temperature than germination of those seeds which had an excess of after-ripening. The decrease in germination resulted from imposition of a secondary dormancy of the embryo, and probably also from reversal of the after-ripening effect upon the primary dormancy imposed by the seed coat.