Germination of Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (Australian king palm) seeds based on different temperatures and substrates

Abstract

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana or Australian King Palm, is a very popular ornamental palm in Brazil. Although A. cunninghamiana is propagated by seeds, few studies have reported on seed germination of this species. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different temperatures and substrates on the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds. To carry out the temperature experiment, constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 or 35 °C and alternating temperatures of 20/30 °C or 25/35 °C were used with four replications of 25 seeds each. For the substrate experiment, sand, vermiculite, and sphagnum moss were used with 7 replicates of 25 seeds per treatment in a completely randomized design. All temperatures, except 35 °C, favored the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds (60%). Vermiculite was determined to be best suited for the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds. Overall, the germination of A. cunninghamiana seeds is slow and uneven, in turn allowing for a longer period of germination.