植物早熟萌芽現象分為真胎生植物和假胎生植物兩種，在種子植物非常少見。台灣新發現之具有陸生胎生植物潛力的紫金牛，此物種原生地喜生長在台灣海拔830~2,080 m潮溼的暖溫帶森林中，物種果實成熟時為紅色，胚根可直接穿過種皮和果皮在母體上發芽。

Precocious germination, including vivipary and pseudovivipary, is rare in seed plants. We here reported the new occurrence of terrestrial vivipary from Ardisia japonica (Hornsted) Blume (Myrsinaceae), which grew at an elevation of 830-2,080 m in humid warm temperate forests of Taiwan. The ripe fruits of this species contained seeds in which the radicles penetrated the seed coat. Germination therefore occurs within the unopened fruit.