Knowra Serotiny Serotiny Serotiny is the retention of mature seeds in fruits or cones, sometimes for years, followed by delayed release. Heat, drying, or another environmental cue can trigger release.
Serotinous cone : A cone that retains mature seeds until a cue such as heat or drying opens it. Its scales remain closed after seed maturation and open when conditions trigger release.
Lodgepole pine : A North American pine whose cones in many populations retain seeds until heat opens them. Its fire-responsive cones are a well-known example of serotiny.
Stand-replacing fire : A fire severe enough to kill most trees in a forest stand. It can release canopy-stored seeds into newly opened habitat.
Xeriscence : The opening of a fruit or cone in response to drying. It is a specific release trigger that can produce serotinous seed release.
Seed dispersal : The movement of seeds away from their parent plant by wind, water, animals, or other means. Serotiny delays dispersal until a release cue makes seeds available to move.
Banksia : A genus of Australian flowering plants, many of which bear woody, seed-containing follicles. Several Banksia species retain seeds in fruits until fire or drying releases them.
Fire suppression : Policies and practices that prevent or limit wildfires and their spread. Long suppression can change the disturbance conditions under which fire-triggered seed release evolved.
Pyrohydrolysis : The opening of plant structures through heat-induced chemical or physical change involving water. It describes a heat-related opening mechanism, not the broader strategy of retaining seeds.
Fire ecology : The study of how fire interacts with organisms, ecosystems, and ecological processes. In fire-prone habitats, heat can open retained cones after a burn.
Eucalyptus : A diverse genus of trees and shrubs native mainly to Australia and nearby regions. Some eucalypts retain seeds in woody capsules, releasing them after fire or drying.
Show all 23