Seed reproduction of daylily species (Hemerocallis L.) during adaptation to the conditions of the West Siberian forest-steppe

This paper presents the results of a comparative study of seed productivity and seed quality in six accessions of daylily species introduced to the forest-steppe conditions of Western Siberia. The research was conducted at the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk) during 2017–2019. It was established that the accessions differed significantly in their capacity for seed reproduction. Potential Seed Productivity (PSP) ranged from 27 to 51 ovules per fruit. Real Seed Productivity (RSP) per fruit varied from 12–15 seeds in H. coreana and H. esculenta to 30–35 seeds in H. minor from the Tomsk Region and Tuva, with average values of 21–23 seeds recorded for H. middendorfii and H. minor from Transbaikalia. Seed set percentage (SSP) for H. coreana and H. esculenta was below 50%, whereas for H. middendorfii and H. minor from the Tomsk Region and Tuva, it reached 80%. Average seed mass per fruit ranged from 238 to 305 mg, with the exception of H. esculenta, which exhibited values 2–3 times lower. Seed quality across different reproduction years varied significantly, as determined by laboratory germination rates and the percentage of shriveled and rotten seeds. The results demonstrate that in the arid conditions of the forest-steppe, species daylilies are capable of producing sufficient quantities of high-germination seeds, with the exception of H. esculenta. Seed reproduction potential is largely determined by species specificity; however, the high intraspecific and individual variability of these indicators suggests active adaptation of daylilies to seasonal weather fluctuations.

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