STUDY OF SEED-GERMINATION AND ETIOLATION OF SEEDLINGS IN EMILIA-SONCHIFOLIA (L) DC AND EMILIA-FOSGERBII NICOLSON (ASTERACEAE)

The germination of seeds of Emilia sonchifolia (2n) and E. fosgerbii ( 4n) was analysed and our results indicate that the former present ligh t insensitive seeds and the latter germinated only under continuous wh ite light. The germination of seeds under shade light presented no dif ferences between both species, However under continuous white light, w hich maintain 70% of Pfr, the velocity of germination was greater in E milia sonchifolia when compared to Emilia fosbergii, indicating that t he threshold of 4n seeds were greater than 2n seeds. The analysis of t he fluence response curves for etiolating process indicated that the p rocess presented no differences between both species. The same was obs erved for the effect of the shade light in the etiolating process.