The objective of this study was to determine the variation of seed and cone characteristics of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from different seed collection sites in the Tujiin nars region of the Selenge province in Northern Mongolia. The cones and seeds of P. sylvestris showed significant differences in size and color. There were three major groups in seed coat color, black, brown and light, respectively, that were tested for seed quality. Seed quality was examined by the weight of 1000 seeds, germination energy, and germination capacity. Study results showed considerable disparities in seed quality among the seed color groups. At 92.3 percent, germination of black colored seeds was higher than brown (81.2 percent) and light (60.7 percent) colored seeds. Based on weight of 1000 seeds, average weight of black colored seed was 7.2 g while the weight of brown and light colored seed was 6.4 g and 5.7 g. The
highest seed germination energy was observed in the black colored seeds 78.7 percent, and then brown colored seeds 74.3 percent, the lowest germination energy were in light colored seed 46.0 percent, respectively. These findings suggest that seed color group can be considered as one of the crucial indicators for selecting qualified seeds.
