0 a tree with leaves divided into five parts and seeds that turn around slowly to the ground when they fall
1 a tree with divided leaves, spreading branches, and round fruit
This result may indicate a similar mechanism in the two species but increased oxidative stress in sycamore.
Arguably this suggests a similar mechanism in both species, but increased oxidative stress in sycamore.
In sycamore the seed respiration rate initially remained constant, but then decreased just before shedding at 59% moisture content.
However, desiccation through the same moisture content range in sycamore after shedding significantly increased the intensity of bands for cotyledon proteins.
A similar but less distinct pattern was shown in sycamore (data not shown).
While this different response may reflect greater oxidative stress in sycamore, it does not support the above hypothesis.
At shedding, sycamore radicles had a ratio of 0.5:1; this declined during drying to 0.2:1 at 20% moisture content when viability was lost.
Sycamore seeds retained viability during drying to approx. 30% moisture content, and then viability declined to zero with further drying to 10%.
