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Little is known of Eremophila seed production, viability or germination
characteristics. The number of fully developed seed within the fruit varies
(i.e. between 12.5 -64.1 %), and there are varying levels of aborted and dead
seed. Fruits may be devoid of seed due to parthenocarpy. Another cause of loss
of good viable seed within fruit is insect attack. Seed viability, though high
for the first few years after seed set, appears to decline markedly after 3
years. The paper reports seed germination experiments conducted under
controlled conditions using a day /night cycle of 25 °/11 °C for 11/13 hrs.
Eremophila maculata seeds, when excised from the fruit, germinated rapidly
with the first radicals emerging after 5 days. Peak germination occurred after
12 days, with a germination rate of 98%. However, with the seed within the
fruit, the germination rate was much lower, at 18 %. The main factor inhibiting
germination of Eremophila is the woody endocarp which surrounds the seeds.
Once the fruit apex is worn down the seed may germinate when water and oxygen
are available. A secondary dormancy mechanism, in the form of inhibitory
chemicals within the fruit wall, restricting the germination of Eremophila
seeds is implicated.