Sustainable development of Hedeoma multiflorum Bentham (Lamiaceae) in San Luis (Argentina) - Part I. Germination under laboratory conditions

Hedeoma multiflorum Bentham (Lamiaceae) is a native aromatic-medicinal species which is under pressure with severe regression of its populations, due to extensive and indiscriminate extraction for commercial purposes. This work studies the germination of this species under laboratory conditions in order to gather data for its commercial cultivation. Seeds from plants of the San Luis sierras were collected during 1994, 1995 and 1996 and stored in airtight containers. Their germination energy was determined on the 3(rd) day of germination and their germination power on the 7(th) day. The results show that the seed goes through a state of primary rest which ends six months after harvest, when germination energy and power reach maximum values. Beyond one year of age, those values decrease significantly.