Germination Response of Three Globemallow Species to Chemical Treatment

Scarlet (Sphaeralcea coccinea), orange (Sphaeralcea munroana), and gooseberry globemallow (Sphaeralcea grossulariaefolia) seed were soaked in 18 m sulfuric acid; 1 m, 1,4-dioxane; and sulfuric acid plus dioxane to increase germination. A 3 to 4-hour soak in dioxane significantly (P<.05) improved germination of all species over the control, and was the best treatment when data were pooled across species. Scarlet globemallow had the highest germination when subjected to 10-minute soak in sulfuric acid. Dioxane is a highly flammable, potentially cancer inducing chemical not readily available to most personnel interested in seeding globemallow. In contrast, sulfuric acid is a readily available chemical that poses a relatively minimal hazard to human health if handled correctly. A 10-minute soak in sulfuric acid appears to be a very practical treatment for improving the germination of scarlet and gooseberry globemallow. However, orange globemallow germination (P>.05) was not improved by sulfuric acid treatment.