(A) Total monthly rainfall and mean minimum and mean maximum monthly temperatures recorded at the Xinjiang Agricultural University weather station from September 2010 to August 2011. (B) Germination percentages (mean ± s.e.) in spring 2011 of dispersal units a, c and f and of fruits a, c and f of Ceratocarpus arenarius sown in plots in autumn 2010. (C) Percentages (mean ± s.e.) of dispersal units a, c and f and of fruits a (a′), c (c′) and f (f′) remaining viable in plots on 8 May. Only standard errors ≥1·0 % are shown in (B) and (C). Different lower case letters indicate significant differences (Tukey's HSD, P < 0·05). In (B), statistical comparisons are for 27 April 2011. Note: for December 2010, there was both rainfall (shown in the figure) and snowfall, and for January and February 2011 there was no rainfall. Snowfall was 24·8, 14·9 and 9·1 cm in December 2010, January 2011 and February 2011, respectively.