Physiological dormancy in forbs native to south–west Queensland: Diagnosis and classification

AbstractSeed physiological dormancy (PD) is reportedly the primary reason why many Australian native plants are not currently used for revegetation of degraded land. However knowledge of germination and dormancy of forb species from semi-arid environments is lacking. Consequently, we investigated germination of 15 Australian forb species from four families, particularly Asteraceae, native to south–west Queensland (Qld). Seeds were tested for viability using tetrazolium chloride (TZ) and sown at 5 to 35 °C. Nine species, including seven Asteraceae, achieved germination exceeding or not significantly lower (P>0.05) than TZ test results. Despite spring dispersal, the majority of species had optimal germination at temperatures reminiscent of winter months. Only six species exhibited low germination across all temperatures investigated when compared to TZ results (P