Seed Dormancy and Germination of Scrophularia koraiensis, an Endemic Species in the Korean Peninsula
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Seed Collection
2.2. Seed Water Absorption
2.3. Seed Germination
2.4. Data Collection and Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Seed Water Absorption
3.2. ANOVA Analysis of Germination Percentage
3.3. Germination Percentage (GP)
3.4. Germination Parameters
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Stiefelhagen, H. Systematische und pflanzengeographische studien zur kenntnis der Gattung Scrophularia. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 1910, 44, 406–496. [Google Scholar]
- Hong, D.Y. The distribution of Scrophulariaceae in the holarctic with special reference to the floristic relationships between eastern Asia and eastern north America. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 1983, 70, 701–712. [Google Scholar]
- Yamazaki, T. Scrophulariaceae. In Flora of Japan; Iwatsuki, K., Yamazaki, T., Boufford, D.E., Ohba, H., Eds.; Kodansha: Tokyo, Japan, 1993; Volume IIIa, pp. 326–331. [Google Scholar]
- Jang, H.D.; Oh, B.U. A taxonomic study of Korean Scrophularia L. (Scrophulariaceae) based on morphological characters. Korean J. Plant Res. 2013, 26, 271–283. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Woo, W.S. Active principle, ρ-methoxycinnamic acid, of scrophulariae radix. Identification of ρ-methoxycinnamic acid and its antipyretic action. Korean J. Pharmacogn. 1963, 7, 55–59. [Google Scholar]
- Yook, C.S. Coloured Medicinal Plants of Korea; Academy Publishing Co.: Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1989; pp. 494–495. (In Korean) [Google Scholar]
- Lee, J.H.; Jo, I.H.; Lee, J.W.; Park, C.G.; Bang, K.H.; Kim, H.S.; Park, C.B. Molecular authentication of Scrophularia herbs by PCR-RFLP based on rpl-5 region of mitochondrial DNA. Korean J. Med. Crop Sci. 2010, 18, 173–179. (In Korean) [Google Scholar]
- Hwang, S.Y.; Byun, J.H.; Song, H.J.; Shin, M.K. A herbalogical study on the plants of Scrophulariaceae in Korea. Kor. J. Herbol. 1998, 13, 241–270. (In Korean) [Google Scholar]
- Nam, H.-H.; Lee, A.Y.; Seo, Y.-S.; Park, I.; Yang, S.; Chun, J.M.; Moon, B.C.; Song, J.-H.; Kim, J.-S. Three Scrophularia species (S. buergeriana, S. koraiensis, and S. takesimensis) inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Plants 2020, 9, 1656. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Han, K.S.; So, S.K.; Lee, C.H.; Kim, M.Y. Taxonomy of the genus Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae) in Korea. Korean J. Plant Taxon. 2009, 39, 237–246. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jang, H.D.; Kim, T.H.; Oh, B.U. A taxonomic review of Scrophularia kakudensis Franch. and its relatives. Korean J. Plant Taxon. 2011, 41, 345–352. (In Korean) [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chung, G.Y.; Chang, K.S.; Chung, J.-M.; Choi, H.J.; Paik, W.-K.; Hyun, J.-O. A checklist of endemic plants on the Korean Peninsula. Korean J. Plant Taxon. 2017, 47, 264–288. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chung, G.Y.; Jang, H.-D.; Chang, K.S.; Choi, H.J.; Kim, Y.-S.; Kim, H.-J.; Son, D.C. A checklist of endemic plants on the Korean Peninsula II. Korean J. Plant Taxon. 2023, 53, 79–101. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jung, T.-Y.; Lee, A.Y.; Song, J.-H.; Lee, M.Y.; Lim, J.-O.; Lee, S.-J.; Ko, J.-W.; Shin, N.-R.; Kim, J.-C.; Shin, I.-S.; et al. Scrophularia koraiensis Nakai attenuates allergic airway inflammation via suppression of NF-κB and enhancement of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. Antioxidants 2020, 9, 99. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR). Biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula. Available online: https://wims.me.go.kr/wims/minwon/cms/cmsCont.do?cntnts_sn=8 (accessed on 5 June 2025).
- Korea National Arboretum. 300 Target Plants Adaptable to Climate Change in the Korean Peninsula; Korea National Arboretum: Pocheon, Republic of Korea, 2010; p. 104. (In Korean)
- Karavani, B.; Afshari, R.T.; Hosseini, N.M.; Oveisi, M.; Miranshahi, B. Assessment of seed dormancy in Scrophularia striata. Seed Sci. Technol. 2016, 44, 218–223. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kang, J.H.; Choi, K.O.; Ahn, S.Y.; Kim, D.S.; Chon, Y.S.; Yun, J.G. Improvement of seed germination in Scrophularia takesimensis, Korean native plant. Korean J. Hortic. Sci. Technol. 2009, 27, 535–539. [Google Scholar]
- Nurse, R.E.; Cavers, P.B. The germination characteristics of Scrophularia marilandica L. (Scrophulariaceae) seeds. Plant Ecol. 2008, 196, 185–196. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gordon, A.G. The germination resistance test—A new test for measuring germination quality of cereals. Can. J. Plant Sci. 1971, 51, 181–183. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Coolbear, P.; Francis, A.; Grierson, D. The effect of low temperature pre-sowing treatment on the germination performance and membrane integrity of artificially aged tomato seeds. J. Exp. Bot. 1984, 35, 1609–1617. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Andalibi, B.; Zangani, E.; Haghnazari, A. Effects of water stress on germination indices in six rapeseed cultivars (Brassica napus L.). Iran J. Agric. Sci. 2005, 36, 457–463. [Google Scholar]
- Baskin, J.M.; Baskin, C.C. A classification system for seed dormancy. Seed Sci. Res. 2004, 14, 1–16. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Baskin, C.C.; Baskin, J.M. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, 2nd ed.; Elsevier Academic Press: San Diego, CA, USA, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Baskin, C.C.; Baskin, J.M. Germinating seeds of wildflowers, an ecological perspective. HortTechnology 2004, 14, 467–473. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Baskin, C.C.; Baskin, J.M. Mimicking the natural thermal environments experienced by seeds to break physiological dormancy to enhance seed testing and seedling production. Seed Sci. Technol. 2022, 50, 22–29. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Geng, B.; Peng, D. Seed dormancy and germination characteristics of Osteomeles schwerinae, a riparian plant endemic to the Hengduan Mountains and adjacent regions. Seed Sci. Technol. 2022, 50, 339–344. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Peng, D.; Hu, X.; Sun, H.; Li, Z. Dry after-ripening, light, cold stratification and temperature effects on seed germination of Primula poissonii from Yunnan, China. Seed Sci. Technol. 2019, 47, 301–306. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Peng, D.; Geng, B.; Qin, Y.; Yang, L.-E.; Baskin, J.M.; Baskin, C.C. Non-deep physiological dormancy in seeds of two endangered medicinal alpine species of Rhodiola from the Hengduan Mountains of southwest China. Seed Sci. Technol. 2023, 51, 297–303. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Peng, D.L.; Chen, Z.; Hu, X.J.; Li, Z.M.; Song, B.; Sun, H. Seed dormancy and germination characteristics of two Rheum species in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains. Plant Divers. 2017, 39, 180–186. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Peng, D.L.; Hu, X.J.; Yang, J.; Sun, H. Seed dormancy, germination and soil seed bank of Lamiophlomis rotata and Marmoritis complanatum (Labiatae), two endemic species from Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains. Plant Biosyst. 2017, 152, 642–648. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Adams, C.A.; Baskin, J.M.; Baskin, C.C. Trait stasis versus adaptation in disjunct relict species: Evolutionary changes in seed dormancy-breaking and germination requirements in a subclade of Aristolochia subgenus Siphisia (Piperales). Seed Sci. Res. 2005, 15, 161–173. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Walck, J.L.; Hidayati, S.N.; Okagami, N. Seed germination ecophysiology of the Asian species Osmorhiza aristata (Apiaceae): Comparison with its North American congeners and implications for evolution of types of dormancy. Am. J. Bot. 2002, 89, 829–835. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hidayati, S.N.; Walck, J.L.; Taylor, J. Seed germination ecophysiology of two western North American species of Sambucus (Caprifoliaceae sensu lato), and comparisons with eastern North American and European congeners. Plant Species Biol. 2010, 25, 203–213. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Finch-Savage, W.E.; Leubner-Metzger, G. Seed dormancy and the control of germination. New Phytol. 2006, 171, 501–523. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kucera, B.; Cohn, M.A.; Leubner-Metzger, G. Plant hormone interactions during seed dormancy release and germination. Seed Sci. Res. 2005, 15, 281–307. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brady, S.M.; Sarkar, S.F.; Bonetta, D.; McCourt, P. The ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3 (ABI3) gene is modulated by farnesylation and is involved in auxin signaling and lateral root development in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 2003, 34, 67–75. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Liu, X.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, Y.; Feng, Z.; Li, Q.; Yang, H.Q.; Luan, S.; Li, J.; He, Z.H. Auxin controls seed dormancy through stimulation of abscisic acid signaling by inducing ARF-mediated ABI3 activation in Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2013, 110, 15485–15490. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Loades, E.; Pérez, M.; Turečková, V.; Tarkowská, D.; Strnad, M.; Seville, A.; Nakabayashi, K.; Leubner-Metzger, G. Distinct Hormonal and Morphological Control of Dormancy and Germination in Chenopodium album Dimorphic Seeds. Front. Plant Sci. 2023, 14, 1156794. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Chen, X.; Bezodis, W.; González-Suárez, P.; Knitlhoffer, V.; Goldson, A.; Lister, A.; Macaulay, I.; Penfield, S. Adaptation of Seed Dormancy to Maternal Climate Occurs via Intergenerational Transport of Abscisic Acid. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2025, 122, e2519319122. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Sajeev, N.; Koornneef, M.; Bentsink, L. A Commitment for Life: Decades of Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms behind Seed Dormancy and Germination. Plant Cell 2024, 36, 1358–1376. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]



| Source of Variation | d.f. | SS | MS | F-Value | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat (H) | 3 | 451.31300 | 150.43767 | 2.51 | 0.0767 |
| Cold stratification-only treatment (C) | 1 | 27,174.04893 | 27,174.04893 | 452.62 | <0.0001 |
| GA-only treatment (G) | 1 | 5879.71999 | 5879.71999 | 97.94 | <0.0001 |
| H × C | 3 | 318.32682 | 106.10894 | 1.77 | 0.1732 |
| H × G | 3 | 1050.27104 | 350.09035 | 5.83 | 0.0027 |
| C × G | 1 | 6216.43873 | 6216.43873 | 103.54 | <0.0001 |
| H × C × G | 3 | 823.85336 | 274.61779 | 4.57 | 0.0089 |
| Cold Stratification (A) | GA3 (mg·L−1) (B) | MGT | GU | GS | T50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Kariwang | |||||
| Control | 0 | 16.99 a 1 | 9.12 a | 0.30 d | 13.33 a |
| 800 | 14.53 b | 11.17 a | 2.15 c | 10.01 b | |
| 4 weeks | 0 | 9.63 d | 2.67 b | 4.26 a | 7.00 c |
| 800 | 11.28 c | 1.10 b | 3.21 b | 10.03 b | |
| Mt. Barwang | |||||
| Control | 0 | 15.73 a | 7.96 a | 0.24 c | 13.83 a |
| 800 | 13.97 b | 8.73 a | 2.11 b | 9.77 b | |
| 4 weeks | 0 | 9.30 d | 3.24 ab | 4.23 a | 3.90 c |
| 800 | 11.28 c | 0.77 b | 3.50 a | 10.03 b | |
| Mt. Gyebang | |||||
| Control | 0 | 18.21 a | 9.23 a | 0.86 d | 14.60 a |
| 800 | 15.86 b | 9.07 a | 1.59 c | 10.79 b | |
| 4 weeks | 0 | 9.96 c | 3.77 ab | 3.99 a | 6.76 c |
| 800 | 11.28 c | 0.43 b | 3.05 b | 10.03 b | |
| Mt. Deokhang | |||||
| Control | 0 | 16.36 a | 8.09 a | 0.34 c | 13.39 a |
| 800 | 16.20 a | 5.27 b | 1.45 b | 12.89 a | |
| 4 weeks | 0 | 9.99 c | 4.60 b | 3.39 a | 6.48 c |
| 800 | 11.29 b | 0.84 c | 3.38 a | 10.03 b | |
| F-test | A | 407.660 ** | 31.617 ** | 391.701 ** | 169.242 ** |
| B | NS | NS | 7.914 ** | NS | |
| A × B | 36.242 ** | NS | 67.596 ** | 107.895 ** | |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Lee, S.Y.; Choi, K.S.; Ko, C.H.; Rhie, Y.H. Seed Dormancy and Germination of Scrophularia koraiensis, an Endemic Species in the Korean Peninsula. Seeds 2025, 4, 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds4040056
Lee SY, Choi KS, Ko CH, Rhie YH. Seed Dormancy and Germination of Scrophularia koraiensis, an Endemic Species in the Korean Peninsula. Seeds. 2025; 4(4):56. https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds4040056
Chicago/Turabian StyleLee, Seung Youn, Kyu Seong Choi, Chung Ho Ko, and Yong Ha Rhie. 2025. "Seed Dormancy and Germination of Scrophularia koraiensis, an Endemic Species in the Korean Peninsula" Seeds 4, no. 4: 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds4040056
APA StyleLee, S. Y., Choi, K. S., Ko, C. H., & Rhie, Y. H. (2025). Seed Dormancy and Germination of Scrophularia koraiensis, an Endemic Species in the Korean Peninsula. Seeds, 4(4), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds4040056

