PARTITIONING GROWTH AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS BETWEEN LEAVES AND STEMS DURING NITROGEN LIMITATION IN SPARTIUM JUNCEUM

A clone of Spartium junceum (Spanish broom) was used to evaluate the consequence of different soil nitrogen regimes on growth and assimilation of leaves and stems. Nitrogen limitation caused a general reduction in aboveground growth, and NO₃^- limitation resulted in a greater reduction in leaf area compared to stem area. Supplemental soil nitrogen, from NH₄⁺, caused increased growth and a greater increase in stem area compared to leaf area. Excess NH₄⁺ caused decreased growth of leaves and stems. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, a greater amount of nitrogen was in stems than in leaves, particularly on a surface area basis. Both stem and leaf assimilation were reduced under limiting nitrogen, but the net effect was an increase in the stem contribution to daily carbon gain compared to a decrease for leaves. Stem and leaf assimilation had similar linear relationships with tissue nitrogen concentration. Nitrogen use efficiency increased under nitrogen limitation. Thus, as the proportion of whole plant nitrogen in the stems increased compared to that in leaves at low nitrogen availability, the nitrogen use efficiency increased.