Research on the seed anatomy and germination technology of Vitex agnus-castus L.

Vitex agnus-castus L. is a highly ornamental and important summer and autumn flowering plant used to enrich urban landscapes. However, there is a serious shortage of seedlings in the market and seed propagation is difficult. In this paper, we used paraffin sectioning to observe the fruit and seed structure of V. agnus-castus and applied various germination techniques to determine the most effective method for seed germination. Results showed that V. agnus-castus possesses a hard endocarp and exhibits a high seed abortion rate. Among the various germination methods, treating the fruit with concentrated sulphuric acid for 20 min followed by soaking in 600 mg/L GA3 for 24 h proved to be the most efficient, leading to a substantial increase in germination potential, germination rate, and germination index to 10%, 14.44%, and 1.09, respectively.