Re(2): Propagation/Germination
- Subject: Re(2): Propagation/Germination
- From: B* G*
- Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 11:12:37 -0700
theryans@xtra.co.nz writes:
>Apart from having an impermeable overcoat other conditions which keep
>air from seeds may prolong dormancy. Seeds of the lotus which were
>buried deep in the anaerobic mud of a pond in (If I remember correctly)
>Korea germinated after an estimated 500 years.
Actually, the seed was found in a dry lake bed that was once a lotus pond,
cultivated by Chinese buddhists. The seed was actually 1,288 years old!
here's a quote from an article about it:
The researchers cited several reasons for the seeds' longevity, including
a thick shell that protected the seed from air and water and the presence
of L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase enzyme, identified in the 1980s by UCLA
biochemistry Professor Steven Clarke as the first protein-repair enzyme.
and
Researchers ground up part of the 416-year-old seed for analysis and "what
we found was this repair enzyme was just as active in that seed as it was
in a modern seed," Clarke said.
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Ancient Goth: someone who overthrew the Roman Empire.
Modern Goth: a vegetarian pretending to be a vampire.
