The 141-year period for Dr. Beal's seed viability experiment: A hybrid surprise.

While most species in the Beal experiment lost all seed viability in the first 60 years, a high percentage of Verbascum seeds can still germinate after 141 years in the soil. Long-term experiments such as this one are rare and invaluable for studying seed viability in natural soil conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.