Morphology of leaves of cyanus segetum LAM (Centaurea cyanus L.) after photoperiodic inhibition at different stages of ontogeny of the shoot apex

Cyanus segetum LAM. was transferred from a long to a short photoperiodic regime at various stages of ontogenesis and the development of the plant investigated. The morphology of the leaves ofCyanus segetum was dependent on the photoperiodic regime. On a short photoperiodic regime, pinnately sected leaves were formed, but only if development was inhibited while the shoot apex still had a structure characteristic for the vegetative plant. The ability to influence the shape of the leaves by a short day ends before the morphological differentiation of the inflorescence at the time of the disappearance of the vegetative structure and the formation of the meristematic mantle. After this time all leaves were smooth-edged like those of the controls on a long day. Although the ability to influence leaves was limited to the period of initiation of the leaf primordia, it was not restricted to the primordia then being initiated. The conditions of development also affected leaves whose primordia had already been initiated. This was evidently due to the action of photoperiodic conditions via ontogenesis. The position of the axils was also changed in dependence on the photoperiodic regime.