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Why can some gnetophyte seeds germinate soon after they are dispersed?
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Gnetophyte
Welwitschia, or tumboa (Welwitschia mirabilis), in Namibia.
Some gnetophyte seeds are able to germinate soon after dispersal because they appear to lack a resting stage or a period of innate dormancy. Unlike many other gymnosperms and angiosperms, which typically enter a state of dormancy following the differentiation of their primary organs, gnetophyte seeds may begin the germination process immediately upon being dispersed.12