Abstract
Saussurea lappa (Decne.) Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae) is a crop used for its medicinal and aromatic properties, but it has become critically endangered due to overharvesting in natural habitats. It is included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and current proactive efforts include the large-scale cultivation of this species to ensure reliable seed and market supply and economic improvement in local farming communities. This plant is being propagated by seed germination for commercial purposes; hence, seeds are required for propagation purposes. Here, we present the first report of vivipary (precocious germination) in S. lappa, seemingly induced by excessive humidity resulting in limited seed production. Vivipary is significant from an agricultural perspective because it is characterised by the lack of seed dormancy with concomitant unexpected precocious sprouting of crop grains and wild species. It is a detrimental trait challenging the safeguarding of food supplies since it causes economic losses as a consequence of lower yields. The occurrence of vivipary is a rare and unique reproductive mechanism in plants and may be a strategic resource for survival in the endangered S. lappa. Forthcoming studies addressing the reproductive biology will be beneficial to understand the evolution of this species and the implications of vivipary in agriculture, seed production, and ultimately, food security in this and other commercial crops.
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Acknowledgements
The authors express their gratitude to Prof. A.R. Nautiyal, Director, HAPPRC, Srinagar, for providing facilities for this work and to D. Litwiller and the Cota-Sánchez Plant Systematics Lab for editorial comments and scientific discussions. Financial support was provided to RSC by the National Medicinal Plant Board of the Government of India, New Delhi, the All India Coordinated Research Project on MAP&B, DMAPR, and Gujarat.
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RSC, YMB, and MCN conducted fieldwork, gathered and analysed data, and contributed to writing and discussion of manuscript. JHCS supervised the study and organised the structure, writing, and discussion of manuscript.
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Chauhan, R.S., Bahuguna, Y.M., Nautiyal, M.C. et al. First account of vivipary in Saussurea lappa (Decne.) Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae). Braz. J. Bot 41, 507–514 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-018-0450-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-018-0450-3