Notes on the ecology of germination ofAlliaria petiolata

Over a period of several years, the ecology of germination of the seeds ofAlliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara etGrande has been studied, both in the laboratory and on an experimental plot at Průhonice. Using 11 seed samples collected in various regions of Czechoslovakia, experiments have shown that seeds of this species pass through a dormancy stage which is caused by physiological features of the embryo. Dormancy was interrupted in cold stratification at temperatures between +1 and +6°C. Germination started on between 60^th and 97^th day after the beginning of stratification, while, the majority of seeds germinated after 75 to 90 days.