Combinations of dormancy types
Some species can show a combination of different types of dormancy, leading to a complex layering of dormancy mechanisms. It may take careful detective work to establish the best way to germinate such seeds. In order for germination to occur effectively, all types of dormancy must be overcome. For instance, under genebank conditions, germination rates for the Western Australian shrub Diplopeltis huegelii are highest when a hot water treatment is used to break physical dormancy, followed by a thirteen-month period of maturation to break morphological dormancy.
Figure 10 (below) is a reminder of the most common causes of dormancy: You might like to view and download this image at high quality. To do this, first click the 'Maximise' link below the image: to download, right click or control click once the image has opened.
Physical dormancy