A diverse classification of seed dormancy in <i>Lilium taliense</i>, an ornamental species endemic to southwest China

We studied the seed dormancy classification of Lilium taliense , an ornamental species endemic to southwest China, by analysing its embryo and germination traits. Germination of freshly matured seeds was assessed under light and dark conditions at 5-25°C. The experiment was repeated after six months of dry after-ripening (DAR). Fresh seeds germinated well (&gt; 75%) at higher temperatures (15‐25°C) within four weeks under the light. Germination decreased to about 10% at 10°C and was inhibited at 5°C. Under the dark, fresh seeds did not germinate at 5°C but reached 80% germination at 15 and 25°C. DAR significantly improved germination percentages and/or rates at low temperatures (10 and 15°C) under the light. We observed that 70% of the seeds showed embryo elongation before germination, growing from 3.10 mm at dispersal to 3.54 mm prior to germination. Approximately 70% of the seeds exhibit morphological dormancy (MD) or morphophysiological dormancy (MPD), while 30% show physiological dormancy (PD) or no dormancy (ND). PD or MPD occurrence depends on temperature, manifesting as conditional PD or MPD. Our hypothesis that the fresh seed population of L . taliense includes a mixture of dormancy classes is supported. Regardless of dormancy type, seeds are unlikely to germinate immediately after autumn dispersal due to low soil temperatures inhibiting germination. However, they gain the ability to germinate at low spring temperatures after winter breaks the PD component.