Dalbergia melanoxylon

Why are the seeds of this species difficult? The seeds have physical dormancy, which can be overcome by scarifying the seed coat to allow water uptake and encourage germination.

Dalbergia melanoxylon (Image: S. Wood, RBG Kew)

Seed Storage

This species most probably has Orthodox seeds - dry to 15-20% eRH and store at -20ºC, or as cool as possible.

Germination Requirements

The seeds of this species are Physically Dormant. Remove the seed covering structures and chip the seed coat with a scalpel before germination. Sow on agar, germination paper or sand at 25ºC.

Seed Morphology

Dalbergia melanoxylon
(Image: S. Wood, RBG Kew)

The fruit is a flattened, indehiscent camara, usually with one seed. The seed (7.55-9.49 mm x 0.5-0.7 mm x 4.84-6.28 mm) is protected by the pericarp and a seed coat, and is brown in colour with a smooth surface. The seed is kidney-shaped and laterally compressed, with a short raphe and a small hilum. The seed configuration is ana-campylotropous and the embryo type is axial-bent, filling the whole seed. The embryo is yellow in colour.

The fruit is grey at maturity. The seeds turn from white to brown/black in colour as they mature.

Taxonomy

Family: LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE

Accepted name: Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.

Synonyms: Dalbergia stocksii Benth.

Common name: African blackwood

References and Links

Baskin, C.C. and Baskin J.M. (1998). Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. Academic Press, USA.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (1994). Genebank Standards. FAO/IPGRI, Rome, Italy.

AFPD (African Flowering Plants Database) - Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Switzerland, and South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA: Dalbergia melanoxylon.
Forest & Landscape Denmark - University of Copenhagen, Denmark: seed leaflet on Dalbergia melanoxylon.
PROTAbase (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) - Wageningen, Netherlands: Dalbergia melanoxylon.
SID (Seed Information Database) - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK: Dalbergia melanoxylon.
Tropicos - Missouri Botanical Garden, USA: Dalbergia melanoxylon.