Investigation the effect of different temperature levels and srtatification on seed germination characteristics and plantlet vigor of Eryngium caucasicum Ttautv.

Eryngium caucasicum is one of the important endemic plants in the northern provinces of Iran. Few studies have been done in relation to its germination. Studying its domestication and propagation can play an important role in preserving and commercializing. To evaluate seed germination and plantlet vigor of Eryngium caucasicum, a laboratory experiment was conducted as factorial based on a completely randomized design in 3 replications with two factors, temperature (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) and stratification (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks). According to morphological studies, the thousand seed weight of Eryngium small seeds was estimated 1.45 g and a moisture content of 24%. The average of flowers per plant is 11.3 and the average of seeds per fruit is 56. The highest germination percentage (74.6), germination rate (1.25), germination uniformity (0.21), and seed vigor (2.2) are shown at 15°C without stratification. The highest germination energy and the shortest germination time (15.26) were observed in 20°C without stratification (64), which is not significantly different from the treatment of 15°C (63.3). In general, the results of the experiment showed that Eryngium seeds germinate at temperatures between 15 and 25 °C, and no germination was observed at temperatures of 5, 10, and 30 °C, and the best temperature for Eryngium germination is 15 °C without stratification.