STUDIES ON THE CELTIS AUSTRALIS L. SEEDS PREPARATION METHODS IN ORDER TO SPEED UP GERMINATION

Celtis australis L., is a tree up to 20 m tall. The range is Mediterranean to the Caucasus, in Romania it is found sporadically in Banat, Oltenia and Dobrogea, the species being used in green spaces where it is planted in alignment, isolated or in massifs, but also on the Black Sea Coast has adapted very well. The genus includes about 70 species, trees and shrubs widespread in the northern hemisphere, from tropical to temperate regions. The elm-like branch is distichous. The stalk has a broken marrow, made up of very thick blades, asymmetrical leaves with 3 ribs at the base, polygamous, andromonoic flowers, the male ones in bundles at the base of the stalk, the hermaphroditic ones arranged at the base of the petiole of the leaves, usually solitary. Fruits are spherical or ovoid drupes, with a strong stone and a thin, fleshy mesocarp. The purpose of this experiment is to speed up the germination of seeds that have been prepared in the four variants: stratification, wetting with hot water, scarification, wetting with cold water. Biometric measurements were performed on the following morphological features: seedling stem height, stem diameter, number of roots, root length, number of leaves, leaf area. Analyzing the four methods of seed treatment related to chemical treatment (control) it is observed that the best results are at V1 (stratification) for all analyzed characters.