The maternal and paternal environment may affect offspring phenotype, potentially influencing both the rate and direction of evolutionary change. I explored parental environmental effects on seed characters in Campanula americana (Campanulaceae), a woodland herb with a variable life history. Germination time determines whether individuals are winter annuals or biennials, therefore parental environmental effects on seed characters may influence life history. Maternal families from two populations were grown in a controlled environment under 3 light levels and 3 levels of soil nutrient. Nine seed types were produced for each population (3 maternal treatments x 3 paternal treatments) for both the light and nutrient gradients. Seeds were individually weighed and germinated under controlled conditions. Overall seed weight increased as maternal environmental conditions became more favorable for both the light and nutrient gradients, but the response varied among populations and maternal families. In one population the paternal light environment affected seed weight when maternal light was limited. A germination study with only 2 maternal and 1 paternal light and nutrient environments found reduced early germination in seeds produced under favorable maternal nutrient conditions; parental light environment did not affect germination. Results of subsequent germination studies will also be discussed. Both maternal, and to a lesser extent, paternal environments influence seed characters and as a consequences may affect life history in C. americana.

Key words: Campanula americana, environmental effects, genetic variation, maternal effects, seed ecology