Smj. Feghahati et Rn. Reese, ETHYLENE-ENHANCED, LIGHT-ENHANCED, AND PRECHILL-ENHANCED GERMINATION OF ECHINACEA-AUGUSTIFOLIA SEEDS, Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 119(4), 1994, pp. 853-858
Echinacea angustifolia DC., the common coneflower of the western Great
Plains, is difficult to propagate by achenes due to inherent seed dor
mancy. The effects of light and prechilling on seed germination were e
xamined, alone and combined with scarification (mechanical, acid) and
ethylene (ethephon) treatments. The results showed that a 2-week prech
ill treatment combined with ethephon and continuous light, followed by
a 2-week germination period in light (16 hours per day) at 25C, could
induce >95 % seed germination in E. angustifolia. This was a signific
antly higher percentage of germination over a shorter period of time t
han any other method examined or previously described. This treatment
also synchronized germination, with most viable seeds germinating in <
1 week after being placed at 25C in the light. Chemical name used: 2-c
hloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon).