This week’s UH News Image of the Week is from UH Mānoa‘s Ty McDonald, a College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources extension agent in the Kona Cooperative Extension office.
He shared: “‘Vivacious Vivipary’—Seeds already germinating while still inside this just-cut, Kona-grown tangerine.
The basic requirements for mature seeds to germinate include sufficient moisture in a moderately warm environment. It is surprising to many home gardeners that light is not usually required for this process. So, why is it that mature seeds inside a juicy fruit such as a tangerine or a ripening papaya sitting on your counter top do not germinate while still inside the fruit?
Chemical inhibitors and/or chilling requirements typically prevent seeds from germinating until after they are liberated from the confines of the fruit (ovary) and in an environment more conducive to growth and survival. On rare occasions, however, the inhibitory factors are overcome and seeds do sprout while still inside the fruit. This phenomenon is called vivipary. Human beings are naturally viviparous.
McDonald teaches plant propagation classes to Master Gardener volunteers in his role as Landscape and Consumer Horticulture Extension faculty in West Hawaiʻi.”
Previous Images
Project Imua
Hanauma Bay
Behind the Scenes
ʻUaʻu kani
Corn
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