Effects of salinity, light, and temperature on seed germination in a Turkish endangered halophyte, Kalidiopsis wagenitzii (Chenopodiaceae)

Effects of salinity, light, and temperature on the seed germination of an endangered, endemic halophyte, Kalidiopsis wagenitzii Aellen (Chenopodiaceae), were examined. Germination tests were carried out at four salinity levels (0-400 mM) under various alternating temperature regimes and photoperiods. At 5-30 °C, percentage of germination was 99%, but at the highest temperature regime, 25-35 °C, percentage of germination was significantly inhibited. At 400 mM NaCl, few seeds germinated. While percentage of germination of K. wagenitzii seeds was greater in 24-h dark than in 12-h light/12-h dark treatment on salinities less than 200 mM NaCl, there were no differences between percentage germination in light- and dark-germinated seeds above 200 mM NaCl. Recovery of germination of K. wagenitzii seeds from NaCl salinity was studied under various temperature regimes and photo-periods. The percentage of ungerminated seeds that recovered when they were transferred to distilled water varied significantly with change...