Germination and seedling establishment inAlisma gramineum, A. plantago-aquatica andA. lanceolatum under different environmental conditions

The seed germination and seedling establishment ofAlisma gramineum, A. lanceolatum andA. plantago-aquatica were investigated to find differences in the reproductive strategy of these species and to explain their ecological and distributional differentiation. The influences of stratification, temperature and flooding on seed germination, winter survival of seedlings and their further development were tested in the laboratory and in the experimental garden. Seeds of the all species studied were dormant immediately after harvesting. Cold stratification was necessary for successful germination. Seeds germinated best under shallow water in temperatures of 25 °C and 25/10 °C and did not need fluctuating day/night temperatures to break dormancy. Seedlings established best under the limosal-terrestrial conditions in summer, and overwintered successfully only when flooded. The main interspecific differences found were in the percentage of germinative and dormant seeds, in the germination rates after individual treatments, in the course of ontogenetic development and in the longevity as well as in the resistance of vegetative organs to environmental conditions. Possible effects of the above-listed facts on the ecological amplitude and distribution of the studied species are discussed.