Cone age and longevity of Banksia seeds

Cone age and longevity of Banksia seeds

Serotiny, where seeds are retained in the canopy for prolonged periods, is common in the genus Banksia and hence seed collections are likely to to comprised of seeds produced in many different years. Crawford et al.  determine the degree of serotiny in three species and, contrary to expectations, find no relationship between comparative longevity and degree of serotiny. Differences in longevity between cone age classes and species is related to variation in initial viability rather than to differences in the rate of decline of viability with time.