EFFECT OF SALINITY ON GERMINATION AND VIABILITY OF NONDORMANT SEEDS OF THE FEDERAL-THREATENED SPECIES AESCHYNOMENE VIRGINICA (FABACEAE)

Concentrations of NaCl higher than 1.0% (ca. 0.8MPa) caused a signific ant decrease in germination percentage of seeds of Aeschynomene virgin ica, and only 5.3% of the seeds germinated on filter paper moistened w ith a 2.0% (ca. 1.7MPa) NaCl solution. Incubating seeds in 2.0% NaCl f or 5 days or longer caused a significant decline in germination/viabil ity, and all seeds incubated for 20 or 30 days lost viability. These;r esponses of AI virginica seeds to salinity are similar ro those of oth er nonhalophytes and, therefore, help explain the absence of sensitive joint-vetch from brackish marshes.