The sessile oak: Anomalies of the binomial

Summary

Plantlets of viviparous grasses produce mature vegetative plants of greater stature than those from seeds of closely related seed-bearing grasses. Results from mixed populations of Festuca vivipara and F. ovina indicate size differences are maintained at flowering. Viable plantlets do not dehisce readily from mature panicles and when detached artificially require a large amount of free water to germinate. Results are discussed with reference to the occurrence of vivipary in Scottish grasses and its success in upland zones.     

Endogenous purine metabolism in the conidia of wild type and certain adenine mutants of neurospora crassa I. The nature of the reserve pools and pool utilization during adenine starvation

Conidia of four adenine auxotrophs (ad 9, ad 3B, ad 8 and ad 4 of Neurospora crassa differ in their ability to germinate on adenine-deficient medium. A large percentage of the ad 9 and ad 3B mutant conidia germinate while those of ad 8 and ad 4 mutant do not. No correlation was found between the size of the conidial purine reserves and the conidial ability to germinate. In all the strains the major fraction of the conidial purine reserved pools was inosine. The ad 8 and ad 4 mutants are blocked after IMP formation in the adenine biosynthetic pathway and therefore cannot use the stored inosine for germination. Pool-utilization studies indicated that in all strains investigated some of the purine reserved were lost from the conidia during incubation. In the most readily germinating strain, ad 9, only small amounts of the purine pool were lost from the conidia and a large portion of the reserve pool was used for nucleic acid synthesis. The nature of the purine reserves present in the conidia, and the ability of the strains to prevent loss of the stored purines from the conidia appear to be among the factors influencing the conidial germination of the adenine mutants of N. crassa.     

Bud formation on excised Heloniopsis leaf fragments: Effects of leaf age and the midrib

Detached young leaves and their segments of Heloniopsis orientalisproduced adventitious buds more readily than did detached matureleaves or their segments. Media composition had a greater influenceon bud regeneration in segments of mature leaves than in segmentsof young ones. Detached young leaves and their fragments couldform buds when placed on filter paper moistened with deionizedwater only or on an agar medium without the aid of exogenousinorganic salts and growth regulators. The presence of the midribenhanced bud formation especially in segments of mature leaves.The number of buds in midrib-less segments treated with cytokininwas greater than in untreated segments with the midrib. Theseand other results suggest that regeneration is controlled byendogenous growth regulating substances supplied via vasculartissue. (Received September 4, 1973; )     

Development of Desiccation Tolerance and Longevity in Seeds from Detached Capsules of Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L)

Developing capsules of foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.) weredetached at 4-d intervals between 12 and 28 d after flowering(DAF) and attached to canes within a natural foxglove standsuch that they were experiencing field conditions identicalto those experienced by normally developing, on-plant capsules.Seeds were subsequently harvested at 4-d intervals until 40total d after flowering (tDAF). Capsule detachment resultedin the cessation of dry matter accumulation; the mean dry weightof seeds from 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 DAF-detached capsules was21, 32, 51, 60, and 79% respectively, of the mean dry weightof seeds during the post-abscission phase of normal, on-plantdevelopment. Nonetheless, seeds from detached capsules acquiredthe ability to germinate at harvest and tolerance to dryingunder seed conservation conditions (15% relative humidity and15 °C). The capability to withstand storage also arose followingcapsule detachment. Seed longevity increased the longer theperiod of detachment but, in the earlier-detached capsules (12,16, and 20 DAF) longevity subsequently declined. Only seedsfrom later detached capsules (24 and 28 DAF) acquired longevitieswhich were comparable with seeds from on-plant capsules, however,no seeds from detached capsules were as long lived as seedsfrom on-plant capsules harvested at 40 DAF. Digitalis purpurea L.; foxglove; capsule detachment; seed development; desiccation tolerance; longevity     

Enhancement of Apospory in Liquid Culture of Matteuccia struthioptens

Apospory in the fern Matteuccia struthiopteris, which is reportedhere for the first time, was induced more readily in liquidculture than on agar medium. It occurred more frequently fromdetached meristems than from juvenile leaves. Gametophytic outgrowthsbearing rhizoids, but lacking sex organs were found occasionallyon roots. Aposporous gametophytes isolated from liquid culturewere induced to form sporophytes either sexually or apogamously.Both types of sporophyte also behaved aposporously in liquidculture. Matteuccia, fern, apospory, apogamy, liquid culture, detached meristem     

昆虫寄生对辽东栎种子命运的影响

报道了昆虫寄生对辽东栎 Quercus liaotungensis 种子命运的影响。结果表明：（1）被昆虫寄生的种子发芽率明显低于正常成熟的种子,被昆虫寄生的种子或者不能发芽,或者能发芽但随后死亡;（2）从虫卵到老龄幼虫的发育在橡实内完成,当橡实落地后幼虫破壳而出,整个种子库的幼虫破壳时间延续2～50天,并非高度同步化;种子库的虫寄生率高达45.4%,以柞栎象Curculio dentipes为主,还有少量其它种类,如另一种象虫Curculio sp.、栗白小卷蛾 Cydia kurokoi 和螟蛾科（Pyralidae）的一未定名种;（3）昆虫寄生影响橡实成熟,测量种子大小分布表明,被昆虫寄生的种子的大小分布介于未成熟和成熟种子之间;（4）象虫寄生取食引起16.05% 的种子能量损失,显著低于对照组。结果证明昆虫寄生对辽东栎种子的命运有重要影响,是影响辽东栎种群更新的关键因素之一。     

Seed development and maturation in Phaseolus vulgaris I. Ability to germinate and to tolerate desiccation

The onset and development of both the ability to germinate andto tolerate rapid enforced desiccation were investigated duringthe development and maturation of seeds of bean (Phaseolus vulgahsL.) at different temperatures and also after different slow-dryingtreatments. The onset of germinability occurred when seeds wereless than half-filled in the absence of both a post-ovule abscissionprogramme and water loss from the seeds. Maximum ability togerminate normally and maximum tolerance to rapid enforced desiccationto 14–16% moisture content did not occur until 2–23d and 6–23 d after mass maturity (end of the seed-fillingperiod), respectively. The slow-drying of immature seeds for7 d ex planta before rapid enforced desiccation increased theability to germinate and stimulated the onset of desicationtolerance. Holding seeds moist for 7 d (during which time moisturecontent declined by <5%) had similar effects, but seed germinationafter rapid enforced desiccation was consistently greater inseeds first dried slowly than held moist. Comparisons betweenseeds less than half-filled dried slowly ex planta and fullseeds undergoing maturation drying in planta showed that a similar(slow) rate of water loss over a 7 d period had a similar effecton the subsequent ability of seeds to tolerate rapid enforceddesiccation. Thus, neither a post-ovule abscission programmenor loss of water were required for the onset of the abilityto germinate in developing bean seeds, but both were requiredfor the development of the ability to germinate and resistanceto solute leakage, when rehydrated, after rapid enforced desiccation. Key words: Bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., seed germination, seed development, desiccation tolerance     

安徽虫瘟霉的黍米培养及其对桃蚜的侵染力

安徽虫瘟霉Zoophthora anhuiensis (Li) Humber是较难人工培养的蚜虫专化性病原真菌。将灭菌并适度熟化的黍米Panicum miliaceum L.作为固体基质与挑碎的安徽虫瘟霉平板菌落混合,在20℃和12L∶12D的温光条件下静止固体培养,获得了产孢潜能大、杀蚜活性强的米粒培养物。培养7天的黍米的产孢量达13.0×10⁴个孢子/粒,产孢持续时间长达6天。用此黍米培养物弹射的孢子对桃蚜Myzus persicae (Sulzer) 若蚜进行7.9～134.9个孢子/mm²共9个剂量的孢子浴接种,所获数据很好拟合时间 剂量 死亡率模型。接种后第5～7天各天的LC₅₀依次为59.8, 39.5和33.5个孢子/mm²,LC₉₀依次为354,234和198个孢子/mm²。在57.7～134.9个孢子/mm²的接种剂量范围内,致死中时LT₅₀从5.1天下降到4.3天。由此表明,安徽虫温霉的黍米培养不仅简单易行,而且菌种的产孢和侵染生物学特性在培养物中被充分体现,每颗米粒如同自然罹病而死的蚜尸,值得进一步研究开发和利用。     

Graft Transmission of Longday-induced Leaf Senescence in Kleinia articulata

Kulkarni, V. J. and Schwabe, W. W. 1985 Graft transmission oflongday-induced leaf senescence in Kleinia articulata.—J.exp. Bot. 36: 1620–1633. Senescence of attached and detached rooted leaves in Kleiniaarticulata can be regulated by daylength, accelerated by longphotoperiods LD (> 16 h) and retarded by short days SD (8h). Using detached, rooted leaves as stocks in leaf to leafgrafts, senescence was readily transmitted from a LD donor leafto a SD receptor leaf even if the receptor was retained in SD(D8).However, no transfer could be detected where it had to passthrough any stem tissue. Senescence was reversible up to a certain stage, beyond whichgrafts senesced, pointing to an accumulation of the graft transmissiblefactor to a threshold level that causes irreversible death. Key words: Kleinia, leaf senescence, senescence factor, daylength, graft transmission     

不同寄主来源的根虫瘟霉菌株对小菜蛾幼虫的毒力比较

在不同寄主来源的4株根虫瘟霉Zoophthora radicans对小菜蛾 Plutella xylostella 2龄幼虫的生物测定中,发现源于小菜蛾的菌株ARSEF1100毒力最强,在0.53～319.32/mm²的孢子剂量下,接种后第8 天累计死亡率为2.38%～97.44%,虫尸全部表现典型的虫瘟霉症状;源于叶蝉的ARSEF2699和F99101菌株的同日累计死亡率分别为2.38%～50.00% (剂量为1.56～314.84/mm²孢子)和2.38%～57.89% (剂量为1.84～484.08/mm²的孢子);而源于菜粉蝶的ARSEF1342菌株在3.54～633.0/mm²的孢子剂量下只引发6.52%～13.63%的累计死亡率,后3个菌株致死的小菜蛾幼虫仅部分表现典型症状。所获数据经时间剂量-死亡率模型模拟分析,剂量效应参数依次为ARSEF1100 (1.89) > F99101 (1.48) > ARSEF2699 (1.23) > ARSEF1342 (0.37),相互间差异均达极显著水平。接种后4～8 天内,ARSEF1100的LD₅₀值分别为231.68、113.08、71.41、40.87和35.30/mm²的孢子,其毒力远高于其余3个菌株;ARSEF2699的相应LD₅₀值为1344.43、922.39、555.58、410.06和397.07/mm²的孢子;F99101的LD₅₀值为666.86、451.64、413.82、350.65和332.57/mm²的孢子,而ARSEF1342的毒力太弱难以估计。这些结果表明,ARSEF1100菌株最有希望用于小菜蛾的微生物防治。     

Premature Drying, Fluridone-Treatment, and Embryo Isolation During Development of Maize Kernels (Zea mays L.) Induce Germination, but the Protein Synthetic Responses are Different. Potential Regulation of Germination and Protein Synthesis by Abscisic Acid

Freshly harvested, developing kernels of maize (Zea mays L.)do not germinate up to 77 d after pollination, but can be inducedto do so by fluridone, premature desiccation, and isolationof the developing embryo. The pattern of protein synthesis indeveloping maize embryos is distinct from that during germinationand subsequent seedling growth. Premature desiccation at 35DAP elicits a pattern of protein synthesis upon rehydrationwhich is similar to that in germinated embryos from mature drykernels. Fluridone-induced viviparous germination is accompaniedby changes in the synthesis of some proteins to a post-germinativepattern, but some developmental proteins continue to be synthesized.Embryos isolated from developing kernels at 35 DAP germinatewhen incubated on water; they also produce some developmentalproteins during germination. Kernels from developing cobs at35 DAP which are detached from the mother plant and maintainedin an atmosphere of high relative humidity (moist controls)do not germinate, but neither do they continue a clearly definedpattern of either developmental or germinative protein synthesis.Drying is thus critical to effect a clear transition of proteinsynthesis from a developmental to a germinative mode in maizeembryos. Abscisic acid within the developing embryos is reduced by fluridone,but to a lesser extent by premature drying or maturation drying.Changes in sensitivity to abscisic acid by the developing embryomay be as, or more, important in permitting germination, andthe attendant synthesis of proteins, than changes in abscisicacid content. Key words: Maize (Zea mays L.), germination, vivipary, desiccation, abscisic acid     

Endogenous purine metabolism in the conidia of wild type and certain adenine mutants of Neurospora crassa. I. The nature of the reserve pools and pool utilization during adenine starvation.

Conidia of four adenine auxotrophs (ad 9, ad 3B, ad 8 and ad 4) of Neurospora crassa differ in their ability to germinate on adenine-deficient medium. A large percentage of the ad 9 and ad 3B mutant conidia germinate while those of ad 8 and ad 4 mutant do not. No correlation was found between the size of the conidial purine reserves and the conidial ability to germinate. In all the strains the major fraction of the conidial purine reserve pools was inosine. The ad 8 and ad 4 mutants are blocked after IMP formation in the adenine biosynthetic pathway and therefore cannot use the stored inosine for germination. Pool-utilization studies indicated that in all strains investigated some of the purine reserves were lost from the conidia during incubation. In the most readily germinating strain, ad 9, only small amounts of the purine pool were lost from the conidia and a large portion of the reserve pool was used for nucleic acid synthesis. The nature of the purine reserves present in the conidia, and the ability of the strains to prevent loss of the stored purines from the conidia appear to be among the factors influencing the conidial germination of the adenine mutants of N. crassa.     

The Surface Structure of Leaves of Chenopodium album L.

Photomicrographs were used to study the surface structure ofleaves of Chenopodium album L. (fat hen). The leaves have asilvery bloom which is a layer of small, separate spheres ofaverage diameter 80 µ, transparent when turgid. Each globuleis attached to the leaf by a capillary stalk and movement studieswith eosin showed that they are linked by a continuous aqueouspathway. As leaves mature, the globules are less densely distributed;they collapse and are then readily detached from the surface.They contain inorganic material, silicates being a major constituent.They are stable to heat, cooling in liquid nitrogen or brieftreatment with chloroform or surfactants. Probably, the globulesare not entirely bounded by wax, and silicates may form a largepart of the outer walls.     

Effect of Endogenous Coumarin on the Germination of Seeds of Coumarouna odorta Aublet

Seeds of Coumarouna germinate readily at 33?C in darkness orlight in spite of high levels of endogenous coumarin. The concentrationof coumarin on a dry-weight basis remained constant in the cotyledonsand increased in the embryos during germination. Applied coumarin(0.4 and 4 mM) did not inhibit germination of Coumarouna butenhanced the growth of embryos; yet a single seed of Coumarouna,placed at the centre of a Petri-dish, drastically inhibitedgermination of other neighbouring seeds (lettuce, radish, andtomato). The presence of coumarin in the soil of potted seedlingssuggest that coumarin exuded by the radicle can inhibit germinationand growth of other species in its vicinity, thus eliminatingcompetition during the first stages of growth.     

A Population Study of Spergula arvensis: I. Two Clines and their Significance

Two seed-coat forms (the presence or absence of papillae) andtwo hairiness forms (medium or densely hairy) of Spergula arvensisare differently distributed through the British Isles, theirrelative frequencies being correlated with latitude and altitude.The proportions of the non-papillate and densely hairy formsincrease with increasing distance from Kent to the north-north-westand also with increasing altitude. A possible explanation is that the diverse forms indicate selectivedifferences. Experiments have been carried out to test thishypothesis and the evidence supports it. The non-papillate formproduces a lower proportion of fertile capsules than the papillateform when grown at a high temperature and low humidity. Alsothe non-papillate seeds germinate more readily than the papillateseeds at low temperatures, whereas at higher temperatures thereverse is true. It is suggested that hybrid vigour, fluctuating selection intensities,and migration may all play a part in maintaining the observeddistribution of the various forms.     

Abscisic Acid and Precocious Germination in Soybeans

Immature embryos of soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.) can be inducedto germinate precociously by depleting the endogenous pool ofabscisic acid (ABA). Washing the embryos or allowing the embryosto dry slowly within or out of detached pods causes a gradualdecline in ABA content. The extent of germination is correlatedwith the length of washing or drying treatments, which in turn,affects the level of endogenous ABA. Providing embryos are threeweeks of age or older, maturation and precocious germinationcan be induced by treating embryos in a way that causes a reductionin embryo ABA content. Drying is not an obligatory requirementfor soybean seed maturation or germination. Key words: ABA, Germination, Embryos     

Development of a Model to Predict the Effect of Temperature and Moisture on Fungal Spore Longevity

A model was developed to quantify the effect of temperatureand moisture content on the longevity of conidia of the entomopathogenicfungusMetarhizium flavoviride . This model incorporated a negativesemi-logarithmic relation between longevity and temperatureand a negative logarithmic relation between longevity and moisturecontent. Replacing the latter with a negative semi-logarithmicrelation between longevity and the equilibrium relative humidityof the conidia was also effective. The latter model was appliedsuccessfully to observations on the survival of conidia of afurther four entomopathogenic fungi (Metarhizium anisopliae,Beauveria bassiana ,Beauveria brongniartii, andPaecilomycesfarinosus ) and ascospores, conidia or uredospores of four phytopathogenicfungi (Alternaria porri ,Helminthosporium oryzae ,Uromyces appendiculatus, andSclerotinia sclerotiorum ) across a wide range of differenttemperatures and relative humidities. The sensitivity of sporelongevity to both temperature and equilibrium relative humidity,and the upper and lower relative humidity limits to the applicationof the model, varied considerably between entomopathogenic andphytopathogenic fungi, among species within each group, andamong different strains within certain species. Metarhizium flavoviride W. Gams & J. Roszypal; entomopathogenic fungi; phytopathogenic fungi; spore survival; storage environment; conidia; uredospore; ascospore     

The life cycle of the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae in the termite Nasutitermes exitiosus

In in vitro and in vivo studies the mode of penetration from Metarhizium anisopliae through the termite integument is elucidated. Serial sections and haemolymph studies elucidate the infective cycle within the host.Conidia germinate and penetrate the cuticle after a not-obligate formation of one or more appressoria. A penetration plate or hyphal bodies between cuticle layers form the base for the invasion of the body cavity, where the haemolymph distributes the multiplicating hyphal bodies. After the death of the insect due to various fungal toxins, organs and tissues are penetrated. Before the gut is invaded, the fungus breaks through to the outside and grows with a special air mycelium, which forms the conidiophores. From these structures the conidia, which stick together in bunches of chains, develope. These conidia can infect the nest mates.