Randomized trial evaluates seed viability and dormancy in gynodioecious plants, indicating sex-specific influences.
Key Points
To investigate how maternal sex impacts seed dormancy and germination in Sidalcea campestris.
Seeds were scarified and cold stratified at 5 °C.
Germination rates were assessed after 0, 6, and 12 weeks of stratification.
Comparison of seed viability and mass between sexes was performed.
Scarification increased germination rates overall, with hermaphrodite seeds germinating 119% more at 0 weeks and 18% more at 12 weeks compared to female seeds.
Seed viability and mass did not differ between maternal sex, indicating no female advantage in these traits.
Differences in germination timing and survival arose from maternal sex, potentially influencing ecological outcomes.