The Scientific World Journal

Research Article

Seed Dispersal and Germination Traits of 70 Plant Species Inhabiting the Gurbantunggut Desert in Northwest China

Table 1

Family, species, vegetative period, month of seed collection, seed traits (seed mass, seed size, seed shape), seed germination percentage, dispersal syndromes and dispersal strategies recorded for each of the 70 study species.


Family	Species	Life form	Collecting time (months)	Seed mass (mg)	Seed size (mm)	Seed shape (variance)	Seed germination percentage (%)	Dispersal syndromes	Dispersal strategies

Ephedraceae	Ephedra przewalskii Stapf	LS	9	2.81 ± 0.071	3.926 ± 0.054	0.144	0	Anemochory	Escape-protection

Poaceae	Eragrostis minor Host.	E	8	0.076 ± 0.0024	0.584 ± 0.021	0.028	5.5 ± 2.22	Anemochory	escape
	Eremopyrum triticeum (Gaertn.) Nevski.	E	6	1.78 ± 0.046	11.389 ± 0.792	0.184	87.33 ± 2.40	Epizoochory	Protection
	Leymus angustus (Trin.) Pilger.	LPH	8	7.85 ± 0.68	9.534 ± 0.775	0.178	0.5 ± 0.5	Epizoochory	Protection
	L. racemosus (Lam.) Tzvel.	LP	8	9.44 ± 0.14	13.708 ± 0.872	0.156	47 ± 2.08	Epizoochory	Protection

Papaveraceae	Glaucium squamigerum Kar. et Kir.	LBP	6	0.42 ± 0.0018	1.269 ± 0.044	0.065	30 ± 5.29	Autochory	Escape

Ranunculaceae	Ceratocephalus testiculatus (Crantz) Bess.	E	6	1.06 ± 0.0099	4.614 ± 0.229	0.018	20.67 ± 1.76	Epizoochory	Escape-protection

Caryophyllaceae	Minuartia regeliana (Trautv.) Mattf.	LA	9	0.20 ± 0.0087	0.499 ± 0.011	0.028	0	Barochory	Escape

Amaranthaceae	Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq.	LA	9	1.16 ± 0.027	2.208 ± 0.093	0.108	8.5 ± 2.22	Barochory	Protection
	Amaranthus albus L.	LA	9	0.70 ± 0.0046	2.083 ± 0.058	0.069	14.5 ± 5.50	Barochory	Escape
	A. retroflexus L.	LA	10	0.68 ± 0.0088	2.115 ± 0.034	0.066	56 ± 2.00	Barochory	Escape
	Anabasis aphylla L.	LS	10	1.14 ± 0.020	2.064 ± 0.062	0.104	66.5 ± 4.03	Anemochory	Protection
	Atriplex tatarica L.	LA	10	1.10 ± 0.032	4.472 ± 0.355	0.168	11 ± 4.65	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	Bassia dasyphylla (Fisch. et Mey.) O. Kuntze.	LA	9	0.66 ± 0.0078	3.018 ± 0.145	0.15	15 ± 1.91	Epizoochory	Protection
	B. hyssopifolia (Pall.) O. Kuntze.	LA	10	0.43 ± 0.0049	2.958 ± 0.165	0.04	85.5 ± 4.27	Epizoochory	Protection
	Camphorosma monspeliaca L	LS	10	0.54 ± 0.015	2.238 ± 0.066	0.083	96 ± 5.48	Anemochory	Escape
	Ceratocarpus arenarius L.	LA	9	1.51 ± 0.025	7.624 ± 0.556	0.364	42.5 ± 2.36	Epizoochory	Escape-protection
	Chenopodium album L.	LA	7	0.35 ± 0.0017	0.964 ± 0.025	0.078	98.5 ± 0.96	Barochory	Escape
	C. aristatum L.	LA	8	0.11 ± 0.0022	0.594 ± 0.023	0.037	6.5 ± 0.96	Barochory	Escape
	C. glaucum L.	LA	9	0.22 ± 0.0021	0.864 ± 0.049	0.074	99 ± 0.58	Barochory	Escape
	C. hybridum L.	LA	10	0.35 ± 0.0016	1.776 ± 0.086	0.044	7.5 ± 2.22	Barochory	Escape
	Corispermum lehmannianum Bunge	LA	8	0.73 ± 0.01	2.634 ± 0.083	0.143	0	Epizoochory	Escape
	Halogeton glomeratus (Bieb.) C. A. Mey.	LA	10	1.06 ± 0.011	2.092 ± 0.047	0.088	77.00 ± 2.34	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	Halostachys caspica C. A. Mey. ex Schrenk.	LS	10	0.24 ± 0.0074	1.798 ± 0.077	0.046	69 ± 3.00	Anemochory	Escape
	Haloxylon ammodendron (C. A. Mey.) Bunge.	LS	10	3.89 ± 0.12	10.676 ± 0.419	0.172	73.5 ± 5.74	Anemochory	Protection
	H. persicum Bunge ex Boiss. et Buhse.	LS	10	7.97 ± 0.085	9.528 ± 0.149	0.147	54 ± 4.55	Anemochory	Protection
	Horaninowia ulicina Fisch. et Mey.	LA	9	0.23 ± 0.0057	0.932 ± 0.043	0.083	4 ± 1.41	Epizoochory	Escape
	Kalidium caspicum (L.) Ung.—Sternb.	LS	10	0.15 ± 0.002	1.568 ± 0.080	0.032	96.5 ± 1.71	Anemochory	Escape
	K. foliatum (Pall.) Moq.	LS	10	0.16 ± 0.0065	3.712 ± 0.213	0.047	98.00 ± 0.77	Anemochory	Escape
	Kochia iranica Litv. Ex Bornm.	LA	10	0.47 ± 0.008	0.698 ± 0.017	0.104	68 ± 2.45	Anemochory	Escape
	Petrosimonia sibirica (Pall.) Bunge.	LA	9	1.75 ± 0.015	0.728 ± 0.029	0.129	3 ± 1.29	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	Salicornia europaea L.	LA	10	0.055 ± 0.0004	1.270 ± 0.121	0.047	15 ± 3.87	Anemochory	Escape
	Salsola foliosa (L.) Schrad.	LA	10	1.04 ± 0.004	6.162 ± 0.218	0.182	0	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	S. heptapotamica Iljin.	LA	10	5.18 ± 0.069	10.176 ± 0.596	0.139	26 ± 8.21	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	S. korshinskii Drob.	LA	10	2.68 ± 0.053	8.312 ± 0.537	0.139	24 ± 9.42	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	S. nitraria Pall.	LA	10	1.80 ± 0.040	6.690 ± 0.269	0.115	43.5 ± 3.30	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	S. ruthenica Iljin.	LA	10	2.71 ± 0.041	8.216 ± 0.424	0.129	3 ± 1.29	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	Suaeda acuminata (C. A. Mey.) Moq.	LA	9	0.57 ± 0.017	1.463 ± 0.088	0.02	38.5 ± 1.89	Barochory	Escape
	S. altissima (L.) Pall.	LA	10	0.35 ± 0.0057	1.244 ± 0.033	0.029	24 ± 2.83	Barochory	Escape
	S. microphylla (C. A. Mey.) Pall.	LS	10	0.32 ± 0.0051	1.086 ± 0.040	0.003	52.5 ± 5.62	Barochory	Escape
	S. physophora Pall.	LS	10	2.48 ± 0.021	2.934 ± 0.162	0.029	79 ± 2.65	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	S. salsa (L.) Pall.	LA	10	0.15 ± 0.0028	0.792 ± 0.031	0.034	29 ± 1.91	Barochory	Escape

Polygonaceae	Calligonum ebi-nurcum Ivanova ex Soskov.	LS	8	26.72 ± 1.21	10.138 ± 0.369	0.045	1 ± 0.58	Anemochory	Escape-protection

Tamaricaceae	Reaumuria songarica (Pall.) Maxim.	LS	8	9.16 ± 0.12	6.050 ± 0.156	0.078	31.5 ± 2.50	Anemochory	Escape-protection

Plumbaginaceae	Limonium coralloides (Tausch) Lincz.	LP	8	0.26 ± 0.0063	2.622 ± 0.048	0.051	34.5 ± 12.53	Anemochory	Escape
Plumbaginaceae	L. suffruticosum (L.) Kuntze.	LS	8	0.30 ± 0.0052	2.784 ± 0.157	0.109	29 ± 6.56	Anemochory	Escape

Fabaceae	Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.	LS	10	4.87 ± 0.064	3.672 ± 0.129	0.078	7.5 ± 1.89	Autochory	Escape-protection
	Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal	LP	8	37.90 ± 0.54	11.424 ± 0.639	0.091	8.23 ± 1.50	Autochory	Escape-protection
	G. uralensis Fisch.	LP	8	9.04 ± 0.060	2.796 ± 0.151	0.038	7.5 ± 0.96	Autochory	Escape-protection
	Sophora alopecuroides L.	LP	8	19.00 ± 0.19	3.968 ± 0.074	0.039	9.13 ± 1.67	Autochory	Escape-protection
	Trigonella arcuata C.A. Meyer	E	6	1.01 ± 0.018	2.248 ± 0.059	0.105	14.67 ± 1.33	Autochory	Escape-protection
	T.cancellata Desf.	E	6	0.88 ± 0.0096	2.100 ± 0.030	0.107	14.00 ± 3.06	Autochory	Escape

Zygophyllaceae	Nitraria roborowskii Kom.	LS	7	46.00 ± 0.91	7.916 ± 0.174	0.059	0	Endozoochory	Protection
	Sarcozygium xanthoxylon Bunge.	LS	8	106.53 ± 2.92	28.588 ± 1.133	0.051	83.5 ± 3.10	Anemochory	Escape-protection
	Zygophyllum fabago L.	LP	7	2.98 ± 0.92	3.704 ± 0.045	0.123	50.5 ± 6.70	Anemochory	Escape-protection

Brassicaceae	Alyssum desertorum Stapf.	E	6	0.37 ± 0.0050	1.474 ± 0.043	0.107	93.33 ± 1.76	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	Chorispora tenella (Pall.) DC.	E	6	0.86 ± 0.0023	1.024 ± 0.040	0.08	6 ± 3.06	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl.	E	6	0.11 ± 0.0007	0.916 ± 0.025	0.081	23.33 ± 2.40	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	Diptychocarpus strictus (Fisch. ex. M. Bieb.) Trautv.	E	6	0.92 ± 0.0068	1.016 ± 0.038	0.074	46 ± 7.21	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	Euclidium syricum (L.) R. Br.	E	6	4.01 ± 0.065	3.740 ± 0.163	0.066	3.33 ± 0.67	Epizoochory	Escape-protection
	Neotorularia korolkowii (Rgl. et Schmlh.)	E	6	0.095 ± 0.0011	0.966 ± 0.037	0.117	54.67 ± 8.74	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	Syrenia siliculosa (M. Bieb.) Andrz.	E	6	0.21 ± 0.0039	1.588 ± 0.090	0.103	86.67 ± 7.33	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	Tauscheria lasiocarpa Fisch. ex DC.	E	6	2.24 ± 0.018	3.038 ± 0.115	0.095	18.67 ± 5.70	Epizoochory	Escape-protection

Plantaginaceae	Plantago cornuti Gouan.	LP	9	0.55 ± 0.0055	1.244 ± 0.054	0.115	89.33 ± 0.67	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	P. lessingii Fish. et Mey.	E	6	1.94 ± 0.021	3.546 ± 0.101	0.129	97.33 ± 0.67	Ombrohydrochory	Escape-protection
	P. maritima L. subsp. ciliata Printz.	LP	8	0.44 ± 0.0057	1.756 ± 0.054	0.105	93 ± 3.32	Ombrohydrochory	Escape
	P. minuta Pall.	E	6	2.04 ± 0.054	3.534 ± 0.090	0.129	76.67 ± 0.67	Ombrohydrochory	Escape-protection

Compositae	Artemisia ordosica Krasch.	LS	9	2.46 ± 0.040	1.546 ± 0.033	0.115	78.5 ± 3.20	Ombrohydrochory	Escape-protection
	Cousinia affinis Schrenk.	LP	8	4.25 ± 0.041	4.876 ± 0.196	0.093	14 ± 2.45	Epizoochory	Protection
	Onopordum acanthium L.	LB	8	9.82 ± 0.076	4.852 ± 0.053	0.09	82.5 ± 2.06	Barochory	Escape-protection

Notes: LA: long-lived Annuals; LBP: long-lived biennials-perennials; LPH: long-lived perennials; LS: long-lived shrubs; E: annuals/ephemerals.