Abstract
Elliott’s lovegrass (Eragrostis elliottii S. Watson [Poaceae]) is an early successional perennial bunchgrass native to the southeastern US. It is a common species in several frequently restored ecosystems including flatwoods, dry prairies, and sandhills. The germination ecology of E. elliottii is largely unknown. Furthermore, practitioners seek reliable information on potential differences in vigor between seedlots. Knowledge of these factors may influence future use of this species in restoration projects. Germination ability of Elliott’s lovegrass was tested with simulated seasonal alternating temperatures (33/24, 29/19, 27/15, 22/11 °C [91/75, 84/66, 81/59, 72/52 °F]) for 28 d. Final germination was high (> 80%) for seeds exposed to early spring/late fall (27/15 °C [81/59 °F]), summer (33/24 °C [91/75 °F]), or early fall/late spring (29/19 °C [84/66 °F]) temperatures. Seeds exposed to summer temperatures displayed more rapid and higher germination (89%) than did seeds exposed to cooler temperatures (P < 0.0001). Seeds exposed to winter (22/11 °C [72/52 °F]) temperatures germinated more slowly and with fewer total seeds germinating (P < 0.0001). The stressful conditions of 2 saturated salt accelerated aging (SSAA) treatments resulted in a maximum germination reduction of 7% in the 2012 seedlot when compared to controls. The 2013 seedlot responded to the same conditions with significantly fewer germination events per day and a reduction in total germination of 14 to 27%. In sum, these results suggest that germination of E. elliottii can occur throughout the year, but seed vigor differences are present between lots.
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