Germination characteristics of plant species from a meadow in the Western Horqin Steppe

Under laboratory conditions,the seed germination characteristics of 64 plant species which were taken from a meadow in the western Horqin Steppe were examined.Results showed that:1) germination rates were higher than 80% for 30 of the 64 plant species,with 41 species having a germination rate higher than 50%;2) germination rates of 8 of the 14 species of Gramineae,and 5 species of Compositae were higher than 85%,with the germination rate of all Leguminosae species lower than 50%;3) seed germination was correlated with life forms.Annual herb seeds tended to have high germination rates,but shrub seeds tended to have a low germination ability;4) seed germination was also correlated with morphological characteristics of seeds.The smallest-seeded species showed high germination rates.The quadrate or conical seeds and seeds with antrorse hairs and pappus generally tended to have relatively high germination rates.