Seed traits of mediterranean tussock grass (Ampelodesmos mauritanicus Poiret; Dur. et Sch.) in southern Italy.

The Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (poiret) Dur. et Sch. is a reseed species from the coastal strips of southern Italy. In the past its fibres were used for several traditional hand-made articles, which are largely made of synthetic raw materials at present. Even so, this species has been drawing the attention of a great number of researchers for being antierosive, fire-resistant, colonizer of marginal areas and a fodder plant in its nearly stage. Furthermore, its biomass appears to be fit for the production of cellulose pulp for paper industry and for direct combustion. In view of such properties and with a view to spreading its cultivation, some biometric traits of its seed were studied: number of caryopses per panicle, weight of 1000 caryopses, weight of the rachis, along with some parameters of their vitality: germinability and germination average time. The results showed high values with reference to both the quantity of caryopses produced per plant and their germinative energy. Moreover, the germinative process has been influenced positively by both the pre-refrigerant treatments and the light.