Erika Cruz

3/31/18
Article Summary 1

Patterns of Seed Mass Variation and their Effects of Seedling Traits in Alliaria Petiolata (Brassicaceae)

Introduction

Per each plant species, the size of the seeds had been the best and most secure constituent of

what it can produce. If seed size can be the determinant of that, than it can be hypothesized that

controlled reproductions of the plant be conducted to gain seeds that are equivalent in size. Seed

size had a direct effect on seedling traits such as germination, emergence, survivorship, size, and

competitive ability. Per other studies, it should be noted that there has been a lot of different

sizes of seeds in the average sizes of yearly seed groups, populations of a species, and individual

seeds within the population. It is even observed that seeds from fruits from the aggregate

category (one flower that produces several seeds), and seeds within all variables of those fruits.

There have been many theories to explain why seeds can vary so much in size. An article done

by the American Naturalist, Smith and Fretwell proposed that there was balance between the

amount of seeds a plant produced, and the size of the seeds. Variations can help with many

factors including to cover ground and reduce the chances of failure in an environment and shape

and characteristics of the plants. All of these observations and it can be determined that the seed

size variation can help during early points in germination and points following germination to

establish a population but does not determine its survival or reproductive capability. The first

objective of the study was to find out the degree in which seed size varied in weedy biennial

Alliaria Petiolata across a range in North America. The second objective was to find out seed

size variations of the fruits from those plants. The third objective was to figure out if traits of

seedlings ability to reproduce and speed in which seeds spread, was due to the size of the initial
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seeds. Findings also included where the seed was and how large within a fruit and plant , and

different probabilities in germination and seedling establishment .

Materials and Methods

About half way through March, the biennial herb garlic mustard starts it’s germination process in

Windsor Ontario. Newer plants start off as short rosettes, plants on year 2 grow in length to form

a raceme with white flowers. Depending on the location, flower’s remain open for different

amounts of time to pollinate. After they are fertilized, the flowers grow two sections of fruits

with 8 to 24 plant ovules, which come at a specific location making it allowable tor record

positioning of the plants seed. During the summer 14 populations were sampled. Lenth and

number or stems, infructescences, and mature fruits were observed and documented per every

100 samples. 10 fruits of a random sample were taken and studied as a control group and

prepared for analysis under a light microscope. They studied length, position, and weight of

seeds. There was an average of 16 seeds per each fruit. A formula was used too standardized all

of the seed sizes. In experiment 1, 100 plants were chosen per each population. Of those 100, 40

seeds were chosen and germination was accelerated and briefly given light every 3 days when

checked for germination, or the spouting of the radicle (like a root). They received germination

frequencies. Seed experiment 2 a sample of seeds was taken, weighed and divided into group

depending on their location in comparison to the plant. There was a total of 9 different groups

found using this method. Seeds were then prepared in a controlled manner and carefully

monitored for changes. They were harvested after a month of germination and dried to get a

record of their biomass. Many samples were tested in many ways to see if any of the seedling

traits were tied to seedling position.

Results
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Plant located in southern positions grew bigger and more amounts of fruit than the plants grown

at the opposite regions. Stem length average wasn’t very different when looking at certain

regions until observing Ontario smaller average. Some of the results are asz shown

“The mean values for number of stems (range 1–6), infructescences (range 1–

23), mature fruits (range 1–321), and seeds (range 7–3672) on an individual

all decreased from southern to northern latitude”

There were differences seed sizes amoung all of these groups. It was also determined

that depending on the location of the seed, germination occurred at different rates giving

different rates of germination. From the results observed, seed position and the size of

seeds were giving a specific pattern during the study. Each fruit’s seed mass went on as

the season accelerated.

Discussion

Kentucky had the largest seed mass overall and Ontario had the smallest seed mass overall.

Branching in plants is due to the temperate the plant its kept at. Other variables to the result of

the plant can be due to the soils pH, species, water drainage, and soil type. These things can

inhibit or help the plants grow and spread. Things vary among several locations making some

seeds succeed in different places. The position on the seed can influence it growth due to being

more prone to receive the hormones necessary to grow. Those in certain positions are shown to

weight more have more mass in general. If the experiment was done to plants in a controlled

greenhouse, more flowers grew on plants that had larger seeds than did ones with smaller seed

size but it did not have a difference in the actual size of the plant. Seeds within a plant have a sort

of competitiveness to them in that they have limited resources and only a chance at maturing.
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When determining seed size and the percentage at which they germinate, it is dependent on the

species of seeds that you are using. Due to the study, the use of smaller seeds is beneficial as

smaller seeds more rapidly germinate. They mature more quickly and they are more able to

overtop and shade seedlings. Although they have smaller seed mass, they tend to grow with a

height for unknown reasoning. The size of the seed may have little to nothing to do with the size

and success of the plant and it’s fruit or products.