The effect of drying period on the germination of Eurasian watermilfoil seeds

• Published in: Journal of aquatic plant management 1997-01, Vol.35, p.35-36
• Main Authors: Standifer, N E, Madsen, J D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Freshwater; Myriophyllum spicatum
• ISSN: 0146-6623

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) is a submersed aquatic macrophyte that is concerned a nuisance plant in many parts of the United States which forms dense beds that can supplant native vegetation, degrade shoreline quality, obstruct navigation and significantly increase the temperature of shallow waters (Aiken et al. 1979). The spread of Eurasian watermilfoil is facilitated by the dispersal of vegetative propagules (Madsen et al. 1988), while sexual reproduction is considered insignificant for regrowth due to the lack of reported field observations of seedlings. However, results of previous studies have demonstrated that Eurasian watermilfoil seeds have high germination rates in laboratory conditions (Madsen and Boylen 1989). A recent study documents the in situ germination of Eurasian watermilfoil seeds and suggests that seeds have the potential to contribute to the expansion of the Eurasian watermilfoil populations in lakes (Hartleb et al. 1993). The importance of seeds to propagation of Eurasian watermilfoil may lie in their ability to remain viable following various disturbances serving as an effective long-term mechanism of survival and regrowth. This study was designed to investigate the effect of the duration of drying period on the germination rate of Eurasian watermilfoil seeds.