Germination of Hemerocallis Seeds as Influenced by Seed Development and Temperature Treatments (vol 34, pg 830, 2016)

Germination of Hemerocallis seeds as influenced by cold stratification at 5 degrees C (CS) and maturity of seeds evaluated using X-ray imaging has not been well investigated. Seeds of H lilioasphodelus, H citrina, H citrina 'April Flower', and H minor collected from China and H thunbergii collected from Korea were germinated at 20 degrees C without pre-temperature treatment, while H. hongdoensis, H. dumortieri, H minor, and H. vespertina seeds were treated with CS. Harvesting 'Stella de Oro' capsules at 35-40 days after anthesis yielded mature seeds with well developed embryo and cotyledons analyzed by X-ray images with a 92% germination in 17 days after sowing. Seeds of H. thunbergii and H. citrina germinated in less than 13 days without CS; two weeks of CS did not accelerate seed germination. Seeds of H. hongdoensis germinated in 24 days when seeds were stored at 25 degrees C without CS and in less than 27 days when cold stratified. Therefore, 'Stella de Oro' capsules should be harvested at 35-40 days after anthesis to harvest mature seeds. Cold stratification is not required to accelerate seed germination in the Hemerocallis taxa evaluated in this study.