Effect of Assimilate Supply on Development and Growth Potential of Axillary Buds in Roses

The effect of assimilate supply on axillary bud developmentand subsequent shoot growth was investigated in roses. Differencesin assimilate supply were imposed by differential defoliation.Fresh and dry mass of axillary buds increased with increasedassimilate supply. The growth potential of buds was studiedeither by pruning the parent shoot above the bud, by graftingthe bud or by culturing the bud in vitro. Time until bud breakwas not clearly affected by assimilate supply during bud development,Increase in assimilate supply slightly increased the numberof leaves and leaf primordia in the bud; the number of leavespreceding the flower on the shoot grown from the axillary budsubstantially increased. No difference was found in the numberof leaves preceding the flower on shoots grown from buds attachedto the parent shoot and those from buds grafted on a cutting,indicating that at the moment of release from inhibition thebud meristem became determined to produce a specific numberof leaves and to develop into a flower. Assimilate supply duringaxillary bud development increased the number of pith cells,but the final size of the pith in the subsequent shoot was largelydetermined by cell enlargement, which was dependent on assimilatesupply during shoot growth. Shoot growth after release frominhibition was affected by assimilate supply during axillarybud development only when buds sprouted attached to the parentshoot, indicating that shoot growth is, to a major extent, dependenton the assimilate supply available while growth is taking place.Copyright1994, 1999 Academic Press Assimilate supply, axillary bud, cell number, cell size, defoliation, development, growth potential, meristem programming, pith, Rosa hybrida, rose, shoot growth     

Bud Structure in Relation to Shoot Morphology and Position on the Vegetative Annual Shoots of Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae)

The length and basal diameter of all lateral and terminal budsof vegetative annual shoots of 7-year-oldJuglans regia treeswere measured. All buds were dissected and numbers of cataphylls,embryonic leaves and leaf primordia were recorded. Each axillarybud was ranked according to the position of its associated leaffrom the apex to the base of its parent shoot. Bud size andcontent were analysed in relation to bud position and were comparedwith the size and number of leaves of shoots in equivalent positionswhich extended during the following growing season. Length andbasal diameter of axillary buds varied according to their positionon the parent shoot. Terminal buds contained more embryonicleaves than any axillary bud. The number of leaves was smallerfor apical and basal axillary buds than for buds in intermediatepositions on the parent shoot only. All new extended shootswere entirely preformed in the buds that gave rise to them.Lateral shoots were formed in the median part of the parentshoot. These lateral shoots derived from buds which were largerthan both apical and basal ones. Copyright 2001 Annals of BotanyCompany Juglans regia L., Persian walnut tree, branching pattern, preformation, bud content, shoot morphology     

Apical dominance in Phaseolus vulgaris. The triggering effect of shoot decapitation and leaf excision on growth of the lateral buds

It was postulated that the release of lateral buds from apical dominance is triggered by the immediate increase in apoplastic water potential (hydrostatic pressure) that is produced by shoot decapitation and that is rapidly transmitted throughout the plant. In experiments conducted to test this hypothesis the use of a strain gauge transducer capable of measuring bud growth with an accuracy of ± 0.1 μm, showed that growth of the inhibited lateral bud at the primary leaf node of Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) ev. Canadian Wonder was initiated within 1 to 5 s following shoot decapitation or excision of the primary leaves. When only the apical bud was excised the lateral bud showed a brief, transitory growth response of ca 1 min duration, but the axillary buds of the first and second trifoliate leaves were released from inhibition. Decapitation of the shoot just below the first trifoliate leaf induced a lateral bud response characterized by three distinct stages: a) a rapid initial growth response with a mean duration of 4.9 min b) a period of arrested growth, which varied in duration from 2 min to 4 h and c) the subsequent resumption of growth.
Excision of both primary leaves induced a rapid but transitory bud response of considerably greater duration than that induced by apical bud excision. Excision of the primary leaves prior to decapitation of the shoot eliminated the phase of arrested growth, which characterized the bud response to decapitation of the intact plant. The rapidity of the bud response to both shoot decapitation and leaf excision and the interaction between the effect of these two treatments are consistent with the hypothesis that competition for water plays a major role in the correlative inhibition of lateral buds.     

Correlative Inhibition of Lateral Bud Growth in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Ethylene and the Physical Restriction of Apical Growth

Restriction of apical growth in Phaseolus by enclosing the upperpart of the shoot in sealed or ventilated tubes induced developmentof axillary buds beneath the enclosure. Enclosed parts of shootsshowed a reduction of leaf growth and, in experiments wherethe tubes were sealed, of internode extension. Enclosure ofthe shoots in large vessels that did not restrict leaf expansion,but which contained 0?5 vols 10^–6 ethylene, similarlyinduced axillary bud growth. Analysis of the gaseous extractof physically restricted shoots showed a 2?5-fold increase inethylene concentration. The results suggest involvement of ethylenein the release of correlative inhibition brought about by physicalrestriction of apical growth.     

Axillary Bud Inhibition Induced by Young Leaves or Bract in Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd

In plants held under long days in the vegetative stage, youngexpanding leaves of poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.‘Brilliant Diamond’) are the main source of axillarybud inhibition, while the apical bud, which includes the meristem,primordial leaves and small unfolded leaves, is a secondaryinhibition source. Removal of these expanding leaves resultedin rapid release and growth of axillary buds. Decapitation ofthe apical bud resulted in delayed axillary bud release. Inreproductive plants kept in short days, the pigmented bractsare the primary source of axillary bud inhibition and the cyathiaare the secondary source. Applications of NAA —substitutedfor both young leaves and bract inhibition — maintainedapical dominance. The concentration of endogenous auxin washighest in the apical bud. However, when calculated on wholeorgan basis the auxin level was greater in young developingvegetative leaves and in reproductive bracts than in the apicalbud. Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd, apical bud, apical dominance, auxin, correlative inhibition, cyathia, poinsettia, IAA, NAA     

Bud Content and its Relation to Shoot Size and Structure in Nothofagus pumilio(Poepp. et Endl.) Krasser (Nothofagaceae)

Buds of shoots from the trunk, main branches, secondary branchesand short branches of 10–21 year-old Nothofagus pumiliotrees were dissected and their contents recorded. The numberof differentiated nodes in buds was compared with the numberof nodes of sibling shoots developed at equivalent positionsduring the following growing season. Axillary buds generallyhad four cataphylls, irrespective of bud position in the tree,whereas terminal buds had up to two cataphylls. There were morenodes in terminal buds, and the most distal axillary buds, oftrunk shoots than in more proximal buds of trunk shoots, andin all buds of shoots at all other positions. The highest numberof nodes in the embryonic shoot of a bud varied between 15 and20. All shoots had proximal lateral buds containing an embryonicshoot with seven nodes, four with cataphylls and three withgreen leaf primordia. The largest trunk, and main branch, shootswere made up of a preformed portion and a neoformed portion;all other shoots were entirely preformed. In N. pumilio, theacropetally-increasing size of the sibling shoots derived froma particular parent shoot resulted from differences in: (1)the number of differentiated organs in the buds; (2) the probabilityof differentiation of additional organs during sibling shootextension; (3) sibling shoot length; (4) sibling shoot diameter;and (5) the death of the apex and the most distal leaves ofeach sibling shoot. Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company Axis differentiation, branching, bud structure, leaf primordia, neoformation, Nothofagus pumilio, preformation, size gradient     

Periods of organogenesis in shoots of Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirb.) oersted (Nothofagaceae)

The organogenetic cycle of main-branch shoots of Nothofagus dombeyi (Nothofagaceae) was studied. Twelve samples of 52-59 parent shoots were collected from a roadside population between September 1999 and October 2000. Variations over time in the number of nodes of terminal and axillary buds, and the length, diameter and number of leaves of shoots derived from these buds (sibling shoots) were analysed. The number of nodes of buds developed by parent shoots was compared with the number of nodes of buds developed, I year later, by sibling shoots. The length, diameter and number of leaves of sibling shoots increased from October 1999 to February 2000 in those shoots with a terminal bud. However, extension of most sibling shoots, including the first five most distal leaf primordia, ceased before February due to abscission of the shoot apex. Axillary buds located most distally on a shoot had more nodes than both terminal buds and more proximal axillary buds. The longest shoots included a preformed part and a neoformed part. The organogenetic event which initiated the neoformed organs continued until early autumn, giving rise to the following year's preformation. The absence of cataphylls in terminal buds could indicate a low intensity of shoot rest. The naked terminal bud of Nothofagus spp. could be interpreted as a structure less specialized than the scaled bud found in genera of Fagaceae and Betulaceae.     

Preformation of Node Number in Vegetative and Reproductive Proleptic Shoot Modules of Persea (Lauraceae)

The numbers of nodes on single flush terminal and axillary shootmodules were determined in a range of Persea species and cultivars.They were compared with node numbers in apical and axillarybuds to investigate whether preformation or neoformation ofnodes occurred. Mean number of nodes on terminal shoots was14 for vegetative shoot modules and 21 for reproductive shootmodules, and was similar across species, cultivars, rootstocks,locations and climates. In the cultivar 'Hass', numbers of nodeson axillary shoot modules were variable, and lower than thosefor primary shoot modules forming the dominant growth axis ofannual growth modules. There was a mean of 12 nodes for vegetativeproleptic shoot modules, 15 for reproductive proleptic shootmodules and six for sylleptic shoot modules, which were invariablyvegetative. All nodes were preformed within both apical andaxillary proleptic buds. This was not the case in syllepticbuds, which burst contemporaneously with extension of the parentaxis. The majority (63%) of reproductive buds formed indeterminatecompound inflorescences. They carried six basal bud scales,six axillary inflorescences and their subtending bracts, andup to nine true leaves.Copyright 1994, 1999 Academic Press Persea Clus., avocado, Persea americana Mill., bud morphology, shoot growth, preformation, prolepsis     

Apical Dominance Control in Ipomoea nil: The Influence of the Shoot Apex, Leaves and Stem

The outgrowth of lateral buds is known to be controlled by theupper shoot tissues, which include the apex, the young leavesand the upper stem. An analysis of the influence of these plantparts on axillary bud elongation in Ipomoea nil was carriedout by various treatments on these specific tissues. A restriction of elongation in the main shoot due to eitherdecapitation or shoot inversion resulted in the release of apicaldominance A non-linear type of compensating growth relationshipwas observed between the 13 cm apical growing region of thestem and the lateral buds. It was determined by decapitation,defoliation and AgNO₃ treatments that both the 13 cm stem-growthregion and the young leaves (1–5 cm in length) had a muchgreater inhibitory influence on the outgrowth of specified lateralbuds than did the stem apex (consisting of the terminal 0.5cm of the shoot). The specified lateral buds which were analyzedfor outgrowth were located a number of nodes below the shootapex. The intervening nodes were debudded. Although the importanceof young leaves in the control of apical dominance has beenpreviously recognized, the most significant result from thepresent study with Ipomoea was the strong influence of the 13cm apical growth region of the stem on the out growth of thelateral buds. Apical dominance, Ipomoea nil L., Pharbitis nil, growth region, lateral bud outgrowth, decapitation, defoliation, shoot inversion     

The Morphogenesis of Regeneration Buds in Hordeum bulbosum L.--A Perennial Grass

The tillering phase in Hordeum bulbosum L. is terminated whenthe newly-formed axillary buds no longer emerge as tillers,but differentiate into dormant regeneration buds. The patternof development of the axillary buds differs during the tilleringphase and the post-tillering phase. During the former, accumulationof leaf primordia corresponds to the age of the bud, i.e., leafnumber per bud increases basipetally along the shoot. Duringthe post-tillering phase, leaf number per bud decreases basipetallyfrom the base of the future bulb internode. This transitionis brought about by an acceleration in the rate of accumulationof leaf primordia which is more sustained in the buds situatedcloser to the base of the bulb internode. These positional differencesin the morphogenesis of the regeneration buds are reflectedin their physiological responses during the relaxation of dormancyand activation of the buds.     

Preformation and neoformation in shoots of Nothofagus antarctica (G. Forster) Oerst. (Nothofagaceae) shrubs from northern Patagonia

The size (length and diameter) and number of leaf primordia of winter buds of Nothofagus antarctica (G. Forster) Oerst. shrubs were compared with the size and number of leaves of shoots derived from buds in equivalent positions. Buds developed in two successive years were compared in terms of size and number of leaf primordia. Bud size and the number of leaf primordia per bud were greater for distal than for proximally positioned buds. Shoots that developed in the five positions closest to the distal end of their parent shoots had significantly more leaves than more proximally positioned shoots of the same parent shoots. The positive relationship between the size of a shoot and that of its parent shoot was stronger for proximal than for distal positions on the parent shoots. For each bud position on the parent shoots there were differences in the number of leaf primordia per bud between consecutive years. The correlations between the number of leaf primordia per bud and bud size, bud position and parent shoot size varied between years. Only shoots produced close to the distal end of a parent shoot developed neoformed leaves; more proximal sibling shoots consisted entirely of preformed leaves. Leaf neoformation, a process usually linked with high shoot vigour in woody plants, seems to be widespread among the relatively small shoots developed in N. antarctica shrubs, which may relate to the species' opportunistic response to disturbance.     

Tillering in Tussock Grasses in Relation to Defoliation and Apical Bud Removal

Experiments with five caespitose grass species from temperateand tropical environments showed that the number of lateralshoots (tillers) which emerged following defoliation was notincreased by leaving a greater residual leaf area. Increasedavailability of photosynthate (and perhaps other resources)was effective, however, in increasing the rate of growth anddegree of flowering of new lateral shoots in one tropical species,Panicum maximum. In two temperate Agropyron tussock grasses, decapitation (apicalbud removal) did not stimulate lateral shoot growth. This indicatedthat apical dominance was not a factor preventing growth oflateral buds just prior to inflorescence emergence on the parenttillers. However, defoliation, where both terminal buds andfoliage were removed from the parent tillers stimulated lateralbud growth. Hormones other than those produced by the apicalbud or light quality or intensity may control lateral bud growthin these species. In contrast to the temperate species, lateralbud growth was stimulated by both decapitation and defoliationin the three tropical species. This response is consistent withthe model of correlative inhibition by apical dominance. Agropyron desertorum, Agropyron spicatum, Heteropogon contortus, Panicum maximum, Themeda triandra, crested wheatgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, black speargrass, green panic grass kangaroo grass, apical dominance, tillering, regrowth, grazing, tussock grasses     

Lateral Bud Growth in Phaseolus vulgaris L. and the Levels of Ethylene in the Bud and Adjacent Tissue

Ethephon and the ethylene inhibitors Ag⁺ and aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) inhibited outgrowth of the axillary bud of thefirst trifoliate leaf in decapitated plants of Phaseolus vulgaris.Endogenous ethylene levels decreased in the stem upon decapitationalthough it is not conclusive that a causal relationship existsbetween this decrease and the release of axillary buds frominhibition. The proposition that auxin-induced ethylene is responsiblefor the suppression of axillary bud growth in the decapitatedplant when the apical shoot is replaced by auxin is not borneout in this study. Application of IAA directly to the axillarybud of intact plants gave rise to a transient increase in budgrowth. This growth increment was annulled when AVG was suppliedwith IAA to the bud despite the fact that the dosage of AVGused did not affect the normal slow growth rate of the bud ofthe intact plant or bud outgrowth resulting from shoot decapitation.     

Development of Axillary and Leaf-opposed Buds in Rattan Palms

Axillary vegetative buds are present in Calamus, Ceratolobus,and Plectocomiopsis. Two species of Daemonorops Sect. Piptospathaalso have axillary vegetative buds. All species of Daemonoropshave only displaced adnate axillary inflorescence buds. A singlebud is initiated in the axil of the first or second leaf primordiumin a way similar to that for axillary inflorescence buds. Themeristem is displaced during development on to the internodeabove and sometimes on to the base of the leaf above. Leaf-opposedvegetative buds occur in five species of Daemonorops Sect. Cymbospathaand in one species of Daemonorops Sect. Piptospatha. This typeof bud is initiated 180° away from the axil of the firstor second leaf primordium. It is not a displaced axillary bud,but does become adnate to the internode above like the axillarybuds. One or more leaves, transitional between juvenile andadult, on a shoot often subtend both types of buds. Myrialepishas leaf-opposed vegetative buds, but their development wasnot observed. Korthalsia has buds that are displaced about 130°from the leaf axil and are intermediate between the axillaryand the leaf-opposed condition. Other forms of vegetative budsare described: multiple buds in Plectocomia, aerial forkingin Korthalsia, and suckering from inflorescences and from aerialstems in Calamus. bud development, rattan palms, palm taxonomy, branching     

NODE COUNTING IN AXILLARY BUDS OF NICOTIANA TABACUM CV. WISCONSIN 38, A DAY-NEUTRAL PLANT

A mature, quiescent, primary axillary bud on the main axis of a flowering Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wisconsin 38 plant, when released from apical dominance and before forming its terminal flower, produced a number of nodes which was dependent upon its position on the main axis. Each bud produced about one more node than the next bud above it. The total number of nodes produced by an axillary bud was about 6 to 8 greater than the number of nodes present above this bud on the main axis. At anthesis of the terminal flower on the main axis, mature, quiescent, primary axillary buds had initiated 7 to 9 leaf primordia while secondary axillary buds, sometimes present in addition to the primary ones, had initiated 4 to 5 leaf primordia. When permitted to grow out independently, primary and secondary axillary buds located at the same node on the main axis produced the same number of nodes before forming their terminal flowers. In contrast, immature primary axillary buds which had produced only 5 leaf primordia and which were released from apical dominance prior to the formation of flowers on the main axis produced only as many nodes as would be produced above them on the main axis by the terminal meristem, i.e., “extra” nodes were not produced. Therefore, it is the physiological status of the plant and not the number of nodes on the bud at the time of release from apical dominance that influenced the node-counting process of a bud. When two axillary buds were permitted to develop on the same main axis, each produced the same number of nodes as single axillary buds developing at these nodes. Thus, the counting process in an axillary bud of tobacco is independent of other buds. Axillary buds on main axes of plants that had been placed horizontally produced the same number of nodes as identically-positioned axillary buds on vertical plants, indicating that gravity does not play a major role in the counting, by an axillary bud, of the nodes on the main axis.     

Topophysis affects the Potential of Axillary Bud Growth, Fresh Biomass Accumulation and Specific Fresh Weight in Single-stem Roses (Rosa hybrida L.)

Topophysis, the effect on growth and differentiation of positionof axillary buds along the shoot, was studied by propagatingfive-leaflet-leaf single-node cuttings which were excised fromseven stem positions and grown as single stemmed plants. InRosahybrida ‘Korokis’ Kiss®, ‘Tanettahn’Manhattan Blue®, and ‘Sweet Promise’ Sonia®,following release of the buds from apical dominance by excision,morphogenetic development was studied until anthesis. The timefrom excision/planting until onset of bud growth, visible flowerbud appearance, and anthesis was generally shorter in plantsoriginating from apical bud positions than from basipetal positions.Topophysis mainly affected the onset of axillary bud growth;the earliest growth and development was found in cuttings fromthe second uppermost node position. This node tended to havethe lowest plastochron value, which indicated the existenceof a transition between sylleptic and proleptic buds. Stem lengthat visible flower bud and at anthesis generally increased asthe cutting position changed basipetally until the second lowestposition, and the number of five-leaflet-leaves at anthesisand the total number of nodes generally increased basipetally.For internode length, growth rate, and fresh biomass efficiencythe cuttings taken from the uppermost and lowermost positionsgenerally had significantly lower values than cuttings fromall medial positions. At anthesis, plants originating from cuttingsexcised from lower medial positions generally had a higher freshweight, greater flower stem diameter, and a significantly higherspecific fresh weight than those plants originating from apicalor basal positions. Among the cultivars, Sonia was the mostefficient in increasing fresh biomass and had the highest growthrate, whereas Manhattan Blue possessed the highest specificfresh weight, indicating a higher plant quality. It is suggestedthat topophysis inRosa is an independent phenomenon intrinsicto the axillary bud. apical dominance; axillary bud growth; fresh biomass accumulation; cut rose; flowering; Rosaceae; Rosa hybrida L.; rose; shoot growth; single-stem roses; specific fresh weight; topophysis; quality     

Hormones and Apical Dominance in the Fern Davallia

Lateral buds of the fern Davallia trichomanoides are releasedfrom inhibition by the removal of the main shoot apex. However,auxin is not capable of substituting for the apex in decapitatedshoots nor can auxin in shoot tips be detected by bioassay orextraction and chromatography. Expanding leaves of this speciescontain auxin, but these organs are not responsible for inhibitionof lateral bud growth. The response of lateral buds to an exogenouslyapplied cytokinin does not result in initial bud break. It isconcluded that the hormonal factors known to govern apical dominancein seed plants are not responsible for the regulation of differentialbud expansion in this fern.     

Bud Structure and Shoot Architecture of Canopy and Understorey Evergreen Broad-leaved Trees at their Northern Limit in East Asia

The morphology of winter buds, shoot growth and branching architecturewas studied in evergreen broad-leaved trees of subtropical/warm-temperaterain forests of southern and central Japan. Winter buds werecategorized into three types based on external morphology anddevelopmental processes: naked, hypsophyllary and scaled buds.Each shoot tip with intermittent growth was covered with a smallnumber of immature leaves or hypsophylls when growth ceased.Hypsophylls protect the apical meristem during its resting period,hence we termed them hypsophyllary buds. In trees with nakedbuds, immature leaves resumed their growth and developed tomature leaves the following spring; thus these trees had nospecial organs to cover shoot tips during winter. In trees withhypsophyllary buds, some hypsophylls covering the shoot tipsthrough the year were shed without further growth when new shootsstarted to grow in the spring. In trees with scaled buds, newlygrowing shoots had hypsophyllary buds at their tips in spring.After the completion of stem elongation, the buds were replacedby scaled buds (often covered with more than 30 scales) in summer.These scaled buds grew during autumn and winter until a newflush of growth the following spring. The three bud types correspondedto forest stratification in the northern-limit forest: the nakedbuds of Rubiaceae and Myrsinaceae in the ground layer; the hypsophyllarybuds of various families (e.g. Symplocaceae, Myrsinaceae) inthe understorey; and the scaled buds of Fagaceae and Lauraceaein the forest canopy. The position and activity of buds on abranch were reflected in the architectural patterns of the treesin different layers of the forest. The scaled-bud trees hadwell-protected, abundant axillary buds and are probably suitedto survive in the forest canopy (with frequent disturbances),whereas the single terminal bud of hypsophyllary-bud trees cansurvive in the less disturbed, resource-limited understoreyof the forest.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company Bud structural type; bud formation; bud growth; shoot elongation; shoot-growth cycle; branching architecture; forest stratification.     

Revisiting the fate of buds: size and position drive bud mortality and bursting in two coexisting Mediterranean Quercus species with contrasting leaf habit

Understanding the relationships between bud size and position and bud fate through time is crucial for identifying and subsequently modeling the mechanisms underlying tree architecture. However, there is a lack of information on how bud size drives crown architectural patterns in coexisting tree species. We studied bud demography in two coexisting Mediterranean oak species with contrasting leaf habit (Quercus ilex, evergreen; Q. faginea, deciduous). The main objective was to analyse the effect of bud size on the fate of buds with different positions along the shoot (apical, leaf axillary and scale-cataphyll axillary buds). The number, length and position of all buds and stems were recorded in marked branches during 4 years. Study species presented different strategies in bud production and lifespan. The evergreen species showed greater mortality rate than the deciduous one, which produced larger buds. Bud size and position were highly related since apical buds where longer than axillary ones and bud length declined basipetally along the stem. Apical buds had also higher chances of bursting than axillary ones. Within positions, longer buds presented a higher probability of bursting than shorter ones, although no absolute size threshold was found below which bud bursting was impaired. In Q. ilex, four-year-old buds were still viable and able to burst, whereas in Q. faginea practically all buds burst in their first year or died soon after. Such different bud longevities may indicate contrasting strategies in primary growth between both species. Q. ilex is able to accumulate viable buds for several ages, whereas Q. faginea seems to rely on the production of large current-year buds with high bursting probability under favourable environmental conditions.     

Correlative Inhibition in the Shoot of Agropyron repens ( L.) Beauv

Correlative inhibition was investigated in plants of Agropyronrepens at two temperatures. Reciprocal inhibition ocrurred betweenthe main shoot apex and the outgrowing axillary shoots, withthe balance of inhibition varying with temperature. Apical dominancewas stronger at 10 °C than at 20 °C , but even at 10°C release of apical dominance by decapitation had onlyminor effects on the timing of outgrowth, growth pattern andrate of dry weight aocumulation of the axillary shoots. Dominanceof the main shoot apex by the axillary shoots was stronger at20 °C than at 10 °C. Removal of axillary buds preventeddecline in size and activity of the main shoot apex ard resultedin increased rates of primordium initiation, leaf emergenceand dry weight accumulation in the main shoot. It is suggestedthat a system of reciprocal dominance provides a mechanism formaintaining the characteristic habit of the grass plant andlimits growth in height of vegetative shoots. Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv, couch grass, correlative inhibition, apical dominance, shoot, apex