Water Uptake and Germination of Red Oak Acorns

Abstract

When pericarps were intact, water was absorbed by Nuttall, pin, cherrybark, and northern red oak acorns, mainly through the vascular openings of the cup scar. Uptake through the pericarp was greater for acorns with a thin waxy coating on the pericarp than for acorns with a heavy waxy coating. Splitting or removing the pericarp greatly speeded uptake. Osmotically induced water stresses decreased germination of pin oak acorns, but germination was still 62% at 10 atm.