J. G. Hampton

New Zealand native seed germination requirements: A review

Abstract the value of New Zealands unique flora is acknowledged in many sectors, as is the fact that it is vulnerable because of isolation, global warming, land‐use intensification, and biosecurity incursion. Concerns are increasing as native regeneration appears to be decreasing. Preservation of plant species is usually possible through seeds, but success requires knowledge of optimal harvest, storage, and germination requirements. Despite the diligence of a few researchers, this information is still scarce. This review brings together information on native seeds published in the last two decades, building on the previous review published in this journal in 1991. Suggestions for research in the future, in both approach and priorities, are made.

Seed quality and New Zealand's native plants: An unexplored relationship?

Abstract Seed quality refers to a number of seed properties which may have varying degrees of practical importance depending on species and end use. Possible reasons for requiring information about the quality of seeds of New Zealands native plants are presented, and data for both seed physical and physiological quality reviewed. Despite the strategic value of New Zealands native plants in biological diversity and for the conservation of this biodiversity, their seed quality is largely an unknown area of plant science.