Mucilaginous seed coat structure of Carrichtera annua and Anastatica hierochuntica from the Negev Desert highlands of Israel, and its adhesion to the soil crust

Carrichtera annua and Anastatica hierochuntica are two desert annuals, the seeds of which are dispersed by rain. The seed coat surface and cross-section structure of the dry seeds of these plants were examined by SEM. The seeds were wetted by placing them on natural saturated desert soil crust in Petri dishes. The Petri dishes were placed in a freeze-dryer when the upper part of the seed surface was still dry. This enabled study by SEM of the developmental stages of the mucilage, from the first stage until the full formation of the mucilage. We argue that the ecological significance of the mucilage differs in winter and summer. In winter the main effect is in water retention and soil particle contact, while in summer dew may allow damage repair and priming for the germination process. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.