Soil seed banks are classified into two types, depending on how long seeds remain viable in the soil before germination or decay: transient (< 1 year) or persistent (> 1 year). In turn, a species’ ability to form a persistent seed bank presumably depends on seed traits and plant habitat. However, the impact of evolutionary […]
Different studies show that animal-dispersed pines have particular cone and seed structures to match their dispersers. However, most research has either addressed the changes in cone and seed traits in a single species over an environmental gradient or the differences between wind-dispersed and animal-dispersed pines. In this study, Zhang et al. characterize the cone and seed […]
The double coconut –Lodoicea maldivica (J.F.Gmel.) Pers. (Arecaceae: Coryophoideae)– is an endemic palm from Seychelles with the largest seed in the world: 0.5 m length and 25 Kg weight. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of this enormous seed, but they have not been formally tested. Here, Bellot et al. trace the evolution of seed size […]
Plants with myxodiaspory release mucilage upon imbibition of seeds (myxospermy, e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana) or fruits (myxocarpy, e.g., Linum usitatissimum). This ability appears in several angiosperm families, but its evolutionary origin has seldom been studied. In this review, Viudes et al. synthesize our current knowledge about mucilage development in myxodiasporous species and provide insights regarding the evolution of the genetic machinery behind […]
The complex genetic network behind the development of the ovule –the cell that will give place to seeds after fertilization– has been widely described in some model plants. However, ovules hold a high variability in integument number and morphology across seed plants. To understand the genetic mechanism behind this diversity, Zumajo-Cardona and Ambrose analyze the […]
Amaranth has been cultivated in Central and South America since Pre-Columbian times. Still, it exhibits features that are unexpected in domesticated plants, such as seed shattering and reduced seed size. Here, Setter et al. dissected the genetic signature of this crop’s domestication process, with a particular interest in mapping the genes responsible for seed color changes […]
Seed Evolution Special Issue This week “Plant Science Research Weekly,” focuses on the evolution of seeds and includes a selection of recent papers that use varying approaches to increase our understanding of the origin and changes of different seed features. Since seeds are transversal to multiple aspects of plant life, this Special Issue aims to […]
Seed dormancy and desiccation tolerance impact on germination timing and soil seed bank formation. Here, Muthuthanthirige et al. conducted a thorough series of experiments and anatomical observations to determine the dormancy class and desiccation tolerance of three Strychnos (Loganiacae) species: S. nux-vomica, S. potatorum, and S. benthamii. (As indicated by the name, plants in this genus produce toxic […]
Soil seed banks allow plants to persist in fire-prone ecosystems. However, if seeds are buried too deep, seedling emergence can be inhibited. The maximum depth at which seeds can be buried without hampering recruitment is expected to be shaped by different seed traits, although this has been seldom tested. Here, Tangney et al. examined the […]