Vivipary in the cactus family: an evaluation of 25 species from northwestern Argentina

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the occurrence of vivipary in natural populations of 25 cactus species from the northwest of Argentina. The fruits of all species were dissected in order to analyze the presence of germinated seeds. In addition, we evaluated seed germination to determine whether seeds were dormant in the mature fruits. We did not record germinated seeds inside the fruits of any of the species, though 40% of the species had non-dormant seeds. Our results showed that vivipary is not a common phenomenon in the cactus family. In light of this, we believe that vivipary in cacti should be considered as a physiological response of the plants to their environmental conditions, rather than an adaptative strategy that maximizes their establishment.