Characterization of Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses in Silene baccifera (L.) Roth. (berry catchfly)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Silene baccifera (L.) Roth, belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae and the genus Silene, is a perennial herb that grows naturally in mountainous and field areas throughout Korea. The young shoots are edible, the whole plant is used medicinally, and the small star-shaped flowers have high ornamental value. Although this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) in the Korean Red List, studies on propagation and basic physiological information remain insufficient. This study was conducted to establish a foundation for propagation using seeds and to elucidate germination characteristics. Seed dissection revealed that the embryo was fully developed and of the peripheral type according to Martin’s classification, indicating the absence of morphological dormancy (MD). A 72-hour imbibition test showed a water permeability was 39.8 ± 2.26%, indicating the absence of physical dormancy (PY). The optimum germination temperatures were 20/10 °C and 25/15 °C, showing high germination percentage of 86.6% and 81.6%, respectively. As a result of GA3 treatments (0, 10, 100, and 1000 mg·L ), the final germination percentage at 15/6 °C with GA3 1000 mg·L was 47.6 ± 6.7%, compared with only 5.06 ± 2.9% in the control. Therefore, it is concluded that S. baccifera seeds possess physiological dormancy (PD). The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the systematic development of propagation and long-term conservation strategies for Silene baccifera.