germination

To assess germination, we introduced seeds to Experiment 1 in the third week, corresponding to the time when pot water contents had stabilized. Three seeds were placed around the seedling of the same species, on the capitulum of a moss individual, using 3 x 140 = 420 seeds in total. Germination was checked twice a week until harvest, 5 weeks later. We considered a seed germinated when the integument had broken and a ‘shoot’ of at least 1 mm had emerged from the seed.

为评估种子萌发情况，我们于第三周将种子引入实验1，此时盆内基质含水量已趋于稳定。我们在单株苔藓的头状结构上、同种幼苗的周围放置3颗种子，本次实验总计使用3×140=420颗种子。每周对种子萌发情况进行两次检查，直至5周后的收获阶段。当种皮破裂且种子长出至少1毫米的幼芽时，我们即认定该种子已萌发。