Germination studies of sectioned seeds of Eugenia species demonstrated their potential for regeneration. However, new seedlings are not spontaneously produced by intact seeds, suggesting the presence of germination inhibitors in the seed. Germination tests were made with six extracts prepared from Surinam cherry seeds (Eugenia uniflora) with pure water as the control. The osmotic effects of these extracts were also investigated using solutions of both PEG 6000 and NaCl, varying from -0.05 to -0.4 MPa. Surinam cherry seed extracts did not inhibit germination of the species itself but they showed a potential for inhibiting germination and normal seedling development in lettuce and dry beans. Considering osmotic potentials similar to those of the inhibiting extracts, PEG solutions produced similar effects, but this was not observed for the NaCl solutions. This difference in behavior by the different solutes suggests effects other than osmotic ones for PEG solutions.
inhibition; osmotic potential; Myrtaceae; sectioning
