Many species found in fire-prone habitats that possess a soil-stored seedba
nk: only recruit seedlings in large numbers following a fire. Fire-related
germination cues are presumably used by these seeds as signals that a fire
has occurred, and would include the heating that occurs in the soil and the
combustion products of burning vegetation, smoke and charcoal. Three Sydne
y species, Grevillea buxifolia (Sm.) R. Br., Grevillea sericea (Sm.) R. Br.
and Grevillea speciosa (Knight) McGillivray, were studied for the interact
ive effects of these cues on their germination. The germination of all spec
ies was found to increase with both smoke and heat treatments. While smoke
always had a greater influence than heat, the relationship between the two
treatments varied with species. The presence of two fire-related germinatio
n cues should allow these species to take better advantage of the recruitme
nt opportunities of the post-fire environment.