Abstract
Size characteristics of mature cones (berries) and seed quality were studied at the individual berry level in three Juniperus taxa indigenous to Slovakia. The globose berries were characteristic of J. communis subsp. communis and J. communis nothovar. intermedia and ovoid berries of J. communis subsp. nana. All three taxa had smaller berries than those of the corresponding species in other countries. In five populations of the studied taxa, three-seeded berries were the most frequent, with one population of J. communis subsp. communis being exceptional, producing predominantly two-seeded berries. The average number of seeds per berry has ranged from 2.06 to 2.94 in J. communis subsp. communis depending on locality. In J. communis nothovar. intermedia it was 2.40 seeds per berry, whereas in J. communis subsp. nana 2.81 seeds per berry. Of these, the fraction ranging between 0.033 and 0.67 represented filled seeds, and the fraction between 1.35 and 1.88 aborted seeds. Cytological study of seed development dynamics revealed an abrupt decline of the viability seed potential at the prezygotic stage of fertilization process in J. communis subsp. communis and a smaller extent of deterioration of morphologically differentiated embryos and encompassing gametophyte of mature seeds. Cytological illustrations of these disturbances in fertilization process are presented and discussed in the paper.
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Funding
We thank the VEGA Grant Agency of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (project no. 2/0005/23) and COST Action Committee (project no. CA22136) for financial support.
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Kormuťák, A., Gömöry, D., Klobučník, M. et al. Seed cone variation and quality of ripening Juniperus seeds.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63708-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63708-4
Keywords
Juniperus taxa- Cone size
- Development
- Embryogeny
- Seeds
- Quality
Source: Ecology - nature.com
