PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kimberlee J Chambers
AU  - Pat Bowen
AU  - Nancy J Turner
AU  - Peter C Keller
TI  - Ethylene Improves Germination of Arrow-leaved Balsamroot Seeds
AID  - 10.1353/npj.2006.0023
DP  - 2006 Jun 20
TA  - Native Plants Journal
PG  - 108--113
VI  - 7
IP  - 2
4099  - http://npj.uwpress.org/content/7/2/108.short
4100  - http://npj.uwpress.org/content/7/2/108.full
SO  - NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL2006 Jun 20; 7
AB  - Preliminary research indicates that treating arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata (Pursh) Nutt. [Asteraceae]) seeds with ethylene before stratification increases germination without affecting seedling morphology. Arrow-leaved balsamroot is one of the most dominant forbs in sagebrush and grassland ecosystems of the Interior Plateau of northwest North America. Widely used as a food and medicinal plant by indigenous peoples of this region, this plant has shown in recent research that it has potential as a medicinal herb, as a source of inulin, for ecological restoration purposes, and in horticulture. The significance of this species in native ecosystems and the difficulty inherent in wild harvesting of balsamroot identifies it as a candidate for crop development to meet future needs. Improving germination is the first step to meeting the objectives of economic development in First Nations communities and for environmental conservation.