1858 H. D. Rogers Geol. Pennsylvania I. 109 Seral series, or Coal strata. Seral Conglomerate (or Lowest Division of the Coal-Measures).

1858 H. D. Rogers Geol. Pennsylvania II. ii. 1027 Seral..a synonym for the coal-formation expressing the period of the nightfall or late twilight of the Appalachian Palæozoic day.

1916 F. E. Clements Plant Succession ix. 184 In lowland and montane regions examples of priseres are often more numerous than those of subseres, and such regions are of the first importance for seral investigations.

1926 A. G. Tansley & T. F. Chipp Aims & Methods Study Vegetation ii. 18 We have a special technical term for the developmental series of communities... We apply the adjective seral, as opposed to climax, to such communities.

1932 Forestry 6 190 The principal seral stages in natural succession from grassland or heath to beechwood are shortly described for certain soil types.

1955 P. A. Buxton Nat. Hist. Tsetse Flies ix. 278 It appears to be generally true that the grassland is seral and that it is prevented from developing into bush or woodland by annual fires.

1973 P. A. Colinvaux Introd. Ecol. vi. 77 The communities are..classified into a number of subordinate communities, the seral stages, and the generic taxon, the Beech-maple climax community.