DOI: 10.5061/dryad.s7h44j1fr
title: Data from: Mechanism of cryptovivipary in wild caper bush (Capparis sepiaria L.) Capparaceae

description: Cryptovivipary is the process in which seeds germinate inside the fruit
 but the seedling or plumule comes out when the fruit detaches from the
 mother plant. This dataset highlights the details of the mechanism of
 cryptovivipary in wild caper bush. In addition, an updated classification
 of viviparous plants is provided to better describe and understand this
 trait.
description: After studying<em> </em>several populations of
 <em>C. sepiaria </em>from different localities, we concluded
 that the wild caper bush shows a very peculiar germination mechanism
 <em>i.e. </em>cryptoviviparous type. All the stages of
 cryptovivipary were observed and photographed using a Vivo 21e camera. The
 mechanism was drafted as per the day-wise stages of germinating seeds.
 Plant specimens were collected and processed for herbarium preparation by
 standard methodology (Jain & Rao 1977).
description: # Data from: Mechanism of cryptovivipary in wild caper bush (Capparis
 sepiaria L.) Capparaceae **Description:** After observing the germination
 mechanism at different localities, we collected 421 mature fruits of *C.
 sepiaria* from Dandoba Hills (MH) and checked for germination mechanism. A
 total of 212 fruits in a single bush showed germinated seeds inside with
 uncoiling embryos were observed. That means that 50% of the fruits showed
 cryptovivipary and seeds from the rest of the fruits failed to germinate.
 The phenomenon was compared with the classification of vivipary described
 by Elmqvist & Cox (1996) and it was concluded that *C. sepiaria* shows
 cryptovivipary. That means Cryptovivipary is not ecologically but
 genetically fixed and an evolved mechanism in caper bush. This has also
 been reported by Gupta (1965). The mechanism of cryptovivipary in *C.
 sepiaria* shows the following stages. **Stage I: (Maturation stage):**
 Fruits become completely mature in monsoon season after 30–40 days from
 pollination. Mature fruits are 1.0–1.5 cm in diameter, black without waxy
 coating aimed to easy permeability of water. The same character was
 observed by Gupta (1965) (Fig. 1 b, c, e & f).** **Stage II:
 (Imbibition):** This stage starts in mid-July of the rainy season, in
 which seeds start to absorb the nutrients from the fruit pulp and swell
 and become broadly comma-shaped. Due to the imbibition of water inside the
 testa, seeds get larger in size which creates pressure on the fruit wall,
 and the fruit wall rupture. (Fig. 1 g). **Stage III:** **(Emergence):** At
 this stage the cellular activities in the embryo become vigorous and a
 short plumule comes out from the seeds. The embryo is coiled and the
 development of photosynthetic pigments starts. The cotyledons are plicate
 folded and the hypocotyl is coiled having a flattened shape with a
 mid-groove. (Fig. 1 h– i). **Stage IV: (Uncoiling of cotyledonary
 leaves):** This stage lasts for 1 week in which a highly coiled embryo
 starts to uncoil and a short plumule comes out of the ruptured fruit wall.
 The fruit abscission starts at this stage (Fig. 1 j–k). **Stage V:**
 **(Fruit fall & Development of seedling):** This is the last stage in
 which the fruit with emerged plumule gets detached from a mother plant.
 According to Gupta (1965), the dispersal of such fruit takes place by
 birds, especially sparrows which feed on fruit pulp. After falling on the
 ground, the cotyledonary leaves start to develop. Slowly the fruit wall
 gets decayed and finally the radicle started to grow to form roots. (Fig.
 1 l–m). According to previous studies in vivipary, the classification of
 viviparous plants is insufficient and incomplete because it shows some
 lacunae to classify some plants e.g., Mangrove shows true vivipary but
 true vivipary has a subtype *i.e.,* cryptovivipary. There is no opposite
 term for cryptovivipary, hence, it becomes confusable to group the true
 viviparous plants. Similarly, pseudovivipary has only one subtype *i.e.,*
 induced pseudovivipary; again no opposite group of this subtype is
 mentioned, and classification needs proper study and elaboration. We
 therfore attempted to update the classification of viviparous plants for
 easy grouping. This outline of the classification of viviparous plants is
 modified from Elmqvist & Cox (1996) which can be implemented in future
 studies to classify viviparous conditions in plants (Table 1).
 **Vivipary:** The precocious and continuous growth of the offspring inside
 the fruit when it is attached to the maternal parent (Goebel 1905). **A.
 True vivipary:** In case of true vivipary, the embryo penetrates through
 the fruit pericarp and grows to a considerable size to ensure its
 establishment. ***i. Typical vivipary***: Vivipary is nothing but the
 germination of seeds in the fruits itself when the fruit is attached to
 the mother plant. In this case, the seedlings are visible externally, they
 emerge from the fruit and can be observed directly. *e.g. Alpinia mutica*
 Roxb., *Artocarpus altilis* (Parkinson) Fosberg, Bruguiera cylindrica
 (L.)Blume*, Ceriops decandra* (Griff.)W.Theob., *Cocos nucifera* L*.,
 Curcuma coriacea* Mangaly & M.Sabu, *Grindelia squarrosa*
 (Pursh)Dunal*, Kandelia candel* (L.)Druce, *Rhizophora mucronata* Poir*.,*
 and *Sechium edule* (Jacq.)Sw.* (Kundan 2019). ***ii. Cryptovivipary:***
 The seed germinates inside the fruit but remains inside until after the
 fruit drops or splits open. In this case, the seedlings remain concealed
 within the fruit, as in *e.g*. *Aegiceras corniculatum* (L.)Blanco*,
 Avicennia officinalis* L. *Capsicum annuum* L*.*, Mangifera indica* L.*,
 *Saussurea lappa* (Decne.)Sch.Bip., and *Tagetes erecta* L. (Anand &
 Mathur 2012, Kundan 2019). **B. Pseudovivipary:** The production of
 apomictic or asexual propagules (like bulbils) on the parent plant (Law et
 al*.* 1983). ***i. Typical pseudovivipary:*** The production of apomictic
 or asexual plantlets or bulbils as in *e.g.* *Crinum viviparum* R. Ansari
 & V.J. Nair*, Coryphantha vivipara* (Nutt.)Britton & Rose*, Globba
 bicolor* Gagnep*.*, Hedychium greenii* W.W. Sm., Polygonum viviparum* L.
 and *Senecio johnstonii* H.H.Johnst. (Ashokan & Gowda 2018). ***ii.
 Induced pseudovivipary:*** In some grasses, there are reports of the
 development of plantlets in the inflorescence due to pathogenic infection,
 *e.g*. in *Andropogon virginicus* Trin*., Cyperus virens* Michx.*, Isachne
 globosa* (Thunb.)Kuntze, *Pennisetum setaceum* (Forssk.)Chiov. and *Poa
 alpina* L*.* (Clay 1986, Elmqvist & Cox 1996). According to studies by
 Sozzi & Chiesa (1995) and Majda et al. (2009), the germination
 percentage of dried seeds of *Capparis decidua* and *C. spinosa* is very
 low; however, like in the present study, failure of isolated seeds to
 germinate might be evidence that the seeds need fruit pulp for
 germination. So far, no data are available on the germination of dried
 seeds in *C. sepiaria.* Gupta (1965) reported vivipary in the caper bush,
 but without mentioning its type and mechanism. In this species, the
 cryptovivipary might be a genetically fixed character. About 50 % of all
 fruits show cryptovivipary in caper bush. The normal mode of germination
 in *C. sepiaria* may be cryptoviviparous, rather than epigeal germination.
 In the rainy season, fruits get naturally imbibed by rainwater and seeds
 germinate inside the fruit. Fruits, with their hooked plumule, easily get
 attached in crevices of slopes and this may prevent seeds from being
 washed away in the flowing water streams on hilly slopes during the rainy
 season. According to Cosata-Sanchez et al.* (2007a & 2007b), many
 plants from Curvembryae show crypovivipary and typical vivipary as the
 plants are growing in different extreme conditions. Many *Capparis*
 species are natural components of deciduous forests and the seed
 germination mechanism in each species needs to be studied to understand
 whether cryptovivipary occurs in related taxa of *Capparis*.
 **References:** Elmqvist, T. and Cox, P. A. 1996. The evolution of
 vivipary in flowering plants. Oikos, 77: 3–9.
 [https://doi.org/10.2307/3545579](https://doi.org/10.2307/3545579). Gupta,
 R. N. 1965. Vivipary in an inland xerophyte (*Capparis sepiaria* Linn.).
 Current Science, 34(10): 319. Sozzi, G. and Chiesa, A. 1995. Improvement
 of caper (*Capparis spinosa* L.) seed germination by breaking seed
 coat-induced dormancy. Scientia Horticulturae, 62: 255–261.
 [https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(95)00779-S](https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238\(95\)00779-S). **Legends:** **Figure 1.** *Capparis sepiaria* L.: (a) Flowering twig, (b) Fruiting twig, (c) Twig showing viviparous fruits, (d) Seed, (e) Young fruit, (f) Mature fruit, (g) Imbibition, (h–i) Emergence of plumule, (j–k) Uncoiling of seedlings, (l-m) Emergence of leaves. **Figure 2a & 2b.** Herbarium specimen of *C. sepiaria*. **Figure 3.** Inflorescence of *C. sepiaria.* **Figure 4.** Habit of *C. sepiaria.*