Transcript No Slide Title

Germination rates of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa L.)
populations in western Maryland
Mitra
1
Karimian ,
2
Brosi ,
Sunshine L.
Tommy Berry, Steven Darrow, Nathan Beeman, Elizabeth Deasy, Lauren Fetzer,
Austin Persons, Brittany Weeks, Carson Somerlatt, Christopher Massimino
Ethnobotany Program, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland, USA
Background
Methods
 The Appalachian Dulcimer is a stringed instrument
in the zither family
As a folk instrument, the Appalachian dulcimer has
prevailed in the Southern Appalachian mountains
since the days of the pioneers (Jeffrey 1958)

Field Data Collection:
)
70 populations identified, marked using a Global
Positioning System (GPS) unit and flagging
Associated community structure documented
including vegetation plots, sapling plots, overstory
plots, and soil samples
Lab analyses completed on soils to determine
texture, % soil moisture, and mineral composition,
including Ca, N, P, Mg, K, and other minerals.
http://sites.google.com/a/frostburg.edu/ethnobotany/home/c
lasses/ethnographic-field-techniques/dulcimerartisans/dulcimer%20map.jpg?attredirects=0
The study area includes four sites in the westernmost counties of
Maryland.
Study Objectives
This investigation seeks to:
1. Identify associations between flowering plants
and soil and light environment
2. Determine germination rates in wild-harvested
populations and open-pollinated taxa
3. Ascertain links between germination rates and
seed size, seed weight, seed buoyancy, and seeds
per taxon
4. Evaluate bioactive compounds that occur in
rhizomes of parent plants in order to determine
relationships between concentrations of
triterpene glycosides in each taxa and forest
cover type, understory plant assemblages, soil
type, seeds produced, seed weight, and
germination rate
Seeds of each taxa were
cleaned, weighed, and
separated according to
buoyancy and/or size
before undergoing seed
stratification.
Preliminary Results
Research Implications
Over 65,000 seeds were collected
The intent of this research is to provide data which
will be beneficial to growers of black cohosh.
Most collected from areas experiencing edge
effects
Number of fruiting plants at all sites was not related
to the proportion of flowering plants observed during
the summer
Weevils were present feeding on seeds collected
from Savage River State Forest
Developing scientifically rigorous cultivation
guidelines with high germinations rates will
encourage its cultivation by growers of other
medicinal herbs and specialty crops.
Fungal infections of unconfirmed origin were
observed on leaves and flower stalks at this site
Techniques used in this study may be applied to
other herbs with low germination rates.
Seeds were not collected from any apparently
infected plants.
Variations were observed among taxa in regard to
the size and number of seeds collected
Average seed weight per taxon ranges from 0.51 mg
to 3.87 mg with a mean of 2.10 mg and standard
deviation of 0.68 mg
Under experimental conditions, germination rates
may range from 10% to 80% (Popp et al. 2002).
Seed Stratification:
Stratification procedure consists of exposure to a
warm-cold-warm temperature cycle
20°C (6 weeks)  5°C (8 weeks)  10°C (until
sowing)
Additional seeds from populations given bleach
treatments of 1-10% in addition to the normal
stratification procedure
Germinating first year seeds will be used for
future experiments
Various seed treatments and subsequent data
regarding ideal growing conditions for germination
and seedling growth will be useful to growers of this
valuable plant.
Note the approximately normal distribution of seed weights.
Sources
Lyke, J. 2001. Summary of the conservation status of Cimicifuga ssp.
(Cimicifuga rubifolia, C. americana, C. racemosa). National
Parks Service.
Popp M, Schenk R, Abel G. 2003. Cultivation of Cimicifuga racemosa
(L.) Nuttal and quality of CR extract BNO 1055. Maturitas. 44
Suppl. 1 pp. S1-S7.
Predny ML, De Angelis P, Chamberlain JL. 2006. Black cohosh (Actaea
racemosa): an annotated bibliography. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–
97. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest
Service, Southern Research Station. 99 p.