Seed germination and seedling fitness in Mesua ferrea L-in relation to fruit size and seed number per fruit

Effect of fruit size and seediness (seed number per fruit) was examined on germination and early growth of seedlings in Mesua ferrea L. Fruiting incid ence (number of fruited trees in a population) and fruit loading (number of fruits per tree) vary from one year to the other, and were greater in 1997 than in 1998. Seeds from large fruits (> 40 g) are preferred for forestry plantations and those from small fruits (< 40 g) are discarded, despite a g reater proportion of small fruits (63.2 %) than large fruits (36.8 %). A fr uit, large or small in size, may contain one, two, three or four seeds. The germination percentage of seeds increased from I-seeded through 4-seeded f ruits both in laboratory and greenhouse conditions, and both in case of lar ge and small fruits. Conversely, the mean seed weight and germination time decreased along this gradient, i.e. seeds from I-seeded fruits were the hea viest and required maximum time for germination, and the seeds from 4-seede d fruits were the lightest and required minimum time for germination. The s eeds from small fruits were lighter in weight, achieved lower germination p ercentages and required greater germination time than the seeds from large fruits in all four seeded categories. Seedlings from seeds from 1-seeded fr uits survived better and with stronger vigour after 1 year of growth than s eedlings from 2-, 3- and 4-seeded fruits. Further, seedling survival and vi gour were greater for seeds from large rather than small fruits. (C) 1999 E ditions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.