Effect of Light Quality (Red:Far-red Ratio) at the Apical Bud of the Main Stolon on Morphogenesis of Trifolium repens L.

A controlled environment experiment investigated whether thered:far-red (R:FR) ratio of light at the apical bud of the mainstolon could alter plant morphogenesis in clonal cuttings ofwhite clover (Trifolium repens L.) The apical bud included theapical meristem, five to six developing leaf primordia withassociated axillary bud primordia and stipules and the firstemerged folded leaf until development was greater than 0·3on the Carlson scale. Three light regimes were imposed on theapical bud by collimating light from R or FR light-emittingdiodes so that the R:FR ratio of light incident at the apicalbud was set at 0·25, 1·6 or 2·1, withoutsignificantly altering photosynthetically active radiation.The effect of these light regimes on white clover seedling growthwas also tested. At a low R:FR ratio seedling hypocotyl and cotyledon lengthswere significantly longer. However, with the cuttings, the lighttreatments did not alter node appearance rate or internode lengthof the main stolon, petiole length, area of leaves or totalshoot dry matter. There was one significant photomorphogeneticresponse in the cuttings, a delay of 0·5 of a phyllochronin the appearance of branches from axillary buds in the lowR:FR ratio treatment relative to the other treatments. Wherebranch appearance was delayed plants had fewer branches. Thisdifference could be ascribed solely to a delay in branch appearanceas there were no significant treatment effects on either theinitiation of axillary bud primordia within the apical bud,the probability of branching or on the rate of growth of branchesafter appearance. Because treatment of the apical bud inducedonly one of the many previously observed responses of whiteclover to a decrease in the R:FR ratio of light, we concludethat other plant organs must also sense the quality of incidentlight.Copyright 1994, 1999 Academic Press White clover, Trifolium repens, apical bud, light quality, red:far-red ratio, light-emitting diode, branching, axillary buds, photomorphogenesis     

Axillary Bud Development in White Clover in Relation to Defoliation and Shading Treatments

A period of growth under shade netting in the glasshouse allowedthe cultivation of white clover stolons with an accumulationof undeveloped axillary buds similar to that often found onstolons from grass/clover swards. The subsequent capacity ofthese nodes to develop branches under different circumstanceswas investigated in three experiments. Removal of the laminaeand petioles subtending sets of four buds along a stolon reducedthe rate at which branches were initiated from the buds. Treatmentsin which petioles, or petioles plus laminae, were retained initiatedbranches more quickly. Shading the stolons reduced both therate of initiation and the percentage of buds which developed,unless both petioles and laminae were retained. There was someevidence that conditions applied to individual buds may actin the same way as the same conditions applied to sets of fourbuds and that illuminated nodes may depress the performanceof neighbouring shaded notes. Fewer buds developed at older nodes than at younger nodes duringthe summer, but during the autumn younger buds initially developedmore slowly than older buds. This suggests that buds can developat a younger nodal age in summer than in winter. When leafless stolons were cut up into component internodesbuds developed faster than on intact stolons, provided the budwas located at the end of the internode nearest the main stolongrowing point. If the bud was at the other end, branch developmentwas slower than on intact stolons. The results are discussedin relation to clover growth in sward conditions. White clover, Trifolium repens, axillary bud development, branching, growing points, defoliation, shading     

Effect of light quality (red: far-red ratio) and defoliation treatments applied at a single phytomer on axillary bud outgrowth in Trifolium repens L.

We studied the effects of light quality and defoliation on the rate of phytomer appearance and axillary bud outgrowth in white clover. The treatments were applied to one phytomer, a phytomer being defined as the structural unit comprising a node, internode, axillary bud, subtending leaf and two nodal root primordia. Light of a low red:far-red (R:FR) ratio (0.27) was applied to a target phytomer either (i) within the apical bud and then to the axillary bud after emergence of the phytomer from the apical bud, or (ii) to the axillary bud only after emergence. The light conditions were directed to these specific parts of the plant by collimating light from small FR light-emitting diodes; with this technique we were able to change the light quality without any change in the level of photosynthetically active radiation. The subtending leaf of the target phytomer was retained or defoliated when it had emerged from the apical bud. FR light applied from the time the phytomer was within the apical bud caused a delay in branch appearance at the target phytomer. In contrast, direct treatment of the axillary bud with FR light after it had emerged from the apical bud did not result in any delay in branch appearance. As the light treatment of the apical bud may have changed the light environment of any of the organs contained in the bud we were unable to ascribe the delay in branch appearance to light perception by any particular organ. However, indirect evidence leads to the conclusion that the likely site of light perception was the developing leaf subtending the axillary bud while it was the outermost phytomer within the apical bud. These results do not support the hypothesis that the R:FR ratio of light incident at an axillary bud site is the environmental factor that controls bud development. Defoliation of the unfolding leaf reduced the rate of phytomer appearance on the main stolon but had no immediate effect on branch appearance. As a consequence there was a reduction in the number of phytomers between the stolon apical meristem and the first phytomer with a branch. This is frequently taken to indicate a relaxation of apical dominance, but in this case was found not to involve a direct effect on bud activity. A current model of white clover growth suggests that there is integration of activity between apical meristems but independence of activity and response to the local micro-environment by axillary buds. In contrast, we found that (i) defoliation reduced phytomer appearance only at the main stolon apical meristem and not at all the meristems in the plant and (ii) that a change in the local light environment of an axillary bud had no discernible effect on bud activity once the bud had emerged from the apical bud but could delay branching if applied before emergence. These results are at variance with the predictions of the model.     

Clonal Growth of White Clover: Factors Influencing the Viability of Axillary Buds and the Outgrowth of a Viable Bud to Form a Branch

The development of an axillary bud of white clover to form abranch depends on (1) the bud being viable, vegetative and non-dormant,and (2) suitable conditions for outgrowth of the bud. Foragingtheory emphasises the second of these requirements. Glasshousestudies with white clover rarely result in a loss of bud viability.In contrast, in field populations over 50% of the buds reachingthe stage of maturity when branching can occur are not in aviable, vegetative, non-dormant condition. We examined whethernon-viability could be induced in a glasshouse experiment byapplying treatments in a factorial design. The factors were:defoliation, phosphorus supply, soil moisture status, simulatedtreading and grass competition. In addition, we measured theeffects of the treatments on the outgrowth of viable buds inorder to assess whether the same factors were determining viabilityand outgrowth. Defoliation significantly reduced bud viability(by 44%) but no other factors, either singly or in combination,had a significant effect. A greater variety of factors and combinationsof factors influenced bud outgrowth; these were defoliation,phosphorus status and interactions involving phosphorus andgrass; defoliation, phosphorus and soil moisture; and soil moisture,grass and treading. For white clover it is relevant to includethe state of the axillary meristem in any model of foraging. Trifolium repens ; white clover; axillary bud; viability; clonal growth; foraging; defoliation     

Patterns of 14C-labelled Assimilate Partitioning in Red and White Clover During Vegetative Growth

A quantitative analysis of the ¹⁴C-labelled assimilate suppliedby the expanded leaves on the primary shoot to growing leaves,stem, lateral shoots (branches or stolons) and roots in redand white clover was conducted during vegetative growth. Stem growth of the primary shoot was inhibited in both cloversand utilized no energy resources. The growing leaves at theprimary shoot apex of white clover imported 4 per cent of theshoot's assimilate compared with 10 per cent in red clover.At the basal end of the primary shoot, the tap root of whiteclover imported 16 per cent of the shoot's assimilate comparedwith 22 per cent in red clover. Branches in red clover and stolonsin white clover were by far the largest sinks for primary shootassimilate, importing 39 per cent and 63 per cent of the labelledassimilate, respectively. Analyses of the translocation of assimilate from individualprimary shoot leaves demonstrated that in both clovers olderleaves exported more of their assimilate to branches or stolons,whereas younger leaves exported more of their assimilate toroots, and possibly in white clover, to growing leaves at thetip of the shoot. Of the labelled assimilate exported to branchesor stolons, each primary shoot leaf exported preferentiallyto the branch or stolon in its own axil, but in addition exportedsubstantial quantities of assimilate to all other axillary shoots,particularly those arising from basal axils where the subtendingleaf had died. Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense, red clover, white clover, assimilate partitioning, perennation     

Influence of Position and Number of Nodal Roots on Outgrowth of Axillary Buds and Development of Branches in Trifolium repens (L.)

The implications of the presence of a root, either at the parentnode or at neighbour nodes, on branch formation of Trifoliumrepens (white clover) was investigated. Plants were freely rootedor rooting was restricted to every sixth or every twelfth nodealong the parent axis. The absence of a root at the parent nodehad little influence on the probability of the subtending axillarybud forming a branch but, on average, delayed the outgrowthof the bud. The probability that an axillary bud, emerging froma non-rooted parent node, developed to a lateral branch (branchwith elongated internodes) decreased with decreasing proximityof the parent node to a rooted node. Lateral branches emergingfrom non-rooted parent nodes which were two nodes distal toa rooted node had a higher rate of node appearance, a greatermean internode length and area per leaf, and were more branchedthan lateral branches emerging from other non-rooted parentnodes. The dry mass of each single root and of branches grownat rooted parent nodes were significantly higher in plants withrestricted rooting than in freely rooted plants. Restrictionin the number of rooted nodes per plant increased the numberof inflorescences. It is concluded that the whole plant responseto restricted root formation was continuous growth of the parentaxis and compensatory growth of the branch at the rooted node.In general, growth was slow for axillary buds whose developmentwas dependent on the basipetal movement or cross-transport withinthe stolons of resources exported from roots. Trifolium repens (L.); white clover; axillary bud outgrowth; branch development; clonal growth; nodal root     

The Growth and Carbon Allocation Patterns of White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) Plants of Contrasting Branching Structure

The growth, morphology and carbon allocation patterns of F1progeny white clover (Trifolium repens L.) plants selected foreither low (‘LBF’) or high (‘HBF’) frequencyof stolon branching were compared in two controlled-environmentexperiments. Selections from within both a small-leaved (‘GrasslandsTahora’) and a large-leaved (‘Grasslands Kopu’)clover cultivar were compared, and plants were grown under arelatively lenient defoliation treatment (expt 1) or under threelevels of defoliation seventy (expt 2). Carbon allocation patternswere measured by ¹⁴CO₂ pulse-chase labelling using fully unfoldedleaves on the main (parent) stolon. LBF and HBF displayed consistent differences in the selectedcharacter though, within cultivars, the difference between selectionswas most pronounced for Kopu. The selections developed fundamentallydifferent branching structures resulting from differences inbranching frequency, with total branch weight per plant averaging122 mg for LBF and 399 mg for HBF (mean of both experiments).More C moved from parent stolon leaves to branches in HBF thanin LBF (mean 22.6% vs. 15.1% respectively of the ¹⁴C exportedfrom source leaves). More C also moved to stolon tissue in HBF,but, counterbalancing this and the difference in allocationto branches, less moved to developing leaves and roots on theparent stolon itself compared to LBF. However, the total weightof developing leaves and roots per parent stolon was generallygreater in HBF than in LBF, probably reflecting greater C importby these sinks from the higher number of branches present perplant in the former selection. HBF plants were consistentlylarger at harvest than LBF plants. There were no defoliationtreatment x selection interactions in C allocation patternsin expt 2. The implications of the results for plant performancein grazed pastures are discussed. Branching, carbon translocation, defoliation, growth, morphology, Trifolium repens, white clover     

Comparison of Horizontal Spread of White Clover (Trifolium repensL.) Grown Under Two Artificial Light Sources Differing in their Content of Blue Light

The effects of blue light on the growth and development of differentbranches were studied to determine if variations in the bluelight supply modified the horizontal spread of white clover.Cuttings of white clover (‘Huia’) were grown for56 d in two controlled chambers under conditions similar exceptfor level of blue light (BL). The horizontal spread of whiteclover was characterised by the phyllochron, internode lengthand branching or flowering of different axes. The responsesto a reduction in BL were different according to axis degree:(1) on the main axis, lowering BL slightly decreased the phyllochronand had no effect on internode length or stolon length; (2)on older primary branches, it decreased their phyllochron, butreduced stolon length due to a reduction in internode length;(3) on secondary branches, it increased the phyllochron anddecreased internode length, triggering a strong reduction instolon length (up to 54%). Moreover, an increase in BL reversedthese effects. The switch to lower BL or higher BL had no effecton internode length of primary branches, but triggered changesin internode length of the main axis. These differential effectsof variations in BL on the morphogenesis of different branchesare discussed in relation to the clonal integration of variationsin light composition. Changes in the horizontal spread of whiteclover induced by BL could play a role, combined with responsesto low red:far-red ratio and low photosynthetic photon flux(PPF) in the strategy of horizontal colonisation and shade-avoidanceof white clover.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company Blue light, branching, horizontal spread, morphogenesis, phyllochron, plant development, plant morphology, stolon growth,Trifolium repensL., white clover.     

Shoot Axillary Bud Morphogenesis in Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

The annual cycle of kiwifruit [Actinidia deliciosa(A. Chev.)C. F. Liang et A. R. Ferguson var.deliciosacv. Hayward] shootaxillary bud (first-order axillary bud, FOAB) morphogenesisis described. FOABs developed quickly with the majority of budscales and leaf primordia present approx. 125 d after budbreak(dab). Mature FOABs had, on average, 23.2 bud scales and leafprimordia. Most second-order axillary structures were also presentapprox. 125 dab. During the growing season, the second-orderstructures developed into second-order axillary buds (SOABs)or remained as simple, dome-shaped meristems (SDSMs). At maturity,nearly all FOABs had four SOABs and, on average, 12.4 SDSMs.Most SDSMs were fused to the subtending leaf primordia, butsome SDSMs developed so that they were ‘free’ fromthe subtending leaf primordia. Third-order axillary meristems(third-order SDSMs) were observed in the axils of most SOABs,and, on average, there were 20.6 per FOAB. Our observationson the development of second-order axillary structures are consistentwith evocation in kiwifruit occurring earlier than the generally-acceptedtime of late summer. Actinidia deliciosa; bud morphogenesis; development; flowering; evocation     

SHORT COMMUNICATION Growth and Development of White Clover (Trifolium repensL.) as Influenced by P and K Nutrition

The effects of varying P and K supplies on the growth and morphologyof white clover were investigated in a pot experiment. Plantswere treated with three rates of potassium (K) and four ratesof phosphorus (P) in factorial combination, and five harvestswere taken between August 1993 and February 1994. During establishment,shoot and leaf development were more adversely affected by Pthan by K deficiency but, by the final growth period, K deficiencywas the more limiting to growth, causing dramatic reductionsin leaf area index (LAI), numbers of growing points, and stolonand root masses. The adverse affects of K deficiency on shootdevelopment were attributed to the curtailment of petiole andlamina expansion which have major requirements for K. It wasnoted that, under K deficiency, proportionately less assimilatewas partitioned to leaf production than to stolon and root growth;this may be an adaptation enabling K-deficient plants to exploitnutrient supplies in adjacent localities. The results suggestthat, provided white clover can withstand ‘moderate’P stress during establishment, its persistence in swards willprobably be limited more by K deficiency than by low or inadequateP supplies. However, because the experiment was conducted outsidethe normal growing season and with only a single white clovercultivar, it is inappropriate to make any generalizations regardingthe effects of P and K nutrition on white clover in the field.Copyright1998 Annals of Botany Company Mineral nutrition, morphology, phosphorus, potassium,Trifolium repensL.     

Density and the commitment of apical meristems to clonal growth and reproduction in Hieracium pilosella

Summary We examined responses to population density in the commitment of apical meristems to reproduction and clonal growth in a rosette-forming, stoloniferous herb (Hieracium pilosella). Despite close physiological coupling between the evocation of the terminal inflorescence bud and the development of one or more axillary buds into stolons, the allocation of meristems was extremely plastic.Genets at the higher sowing densities showed density-dependent mortality consistent with self-thinning along a-3/2 trajectory. The probability of inflorescence evocation and associated stolon development was negatively dependent on surviving density. The proportinal distribution of primary stolons amongst genets became strikingly more unequal (expressed as the Gini coefficient) with increasing density. Clonal growth was resolved into the number of primary stolons per stoloniferous genet and the extent of stolon branching (i.e. number of apices per primary stolon); both showed strongly negative density-dependence. Reproduction, expressed as the mean number of flowering capitula per stoloniferous genet, declined 15-fold with increasing density; although theoretically expected to be unity, greater values resulted from capitulum production by attached secondary rosettes and lower values reflected the increasing abortion rate of inflorescence buds with increasing density.Both the total number of apices produced per unit area and the corresponding number of reproductive apices were maximal at intermediate surviving densities (700–1,000 m^-2). The balance between reproductive and clonal growth may be expressed as the probability of an apical meristem producing a capitulum, that also peaked sharply at intermediate density. This finding does not conform with linear models that predict a shift from vegetative growth to sexual reproduction with increasing population density.     

Effect of Severity of Defoliation on the Viability of Reproductive and Vegetative Axillary Buds of Trifolium repens L.

This glasshouse experiment was performed to assess the effectsof a range of constant defoliation regimes applied to cuttingsof a single large-leaved genotype ofTrifolium repens L. on theviability of its axillary buds. Plants were established to comprisea single main stolon (axillary branches were removed) and defoliationtreatments were applied by removing the older (basal) leavesuntil leaf complements of 1·0, 1·5, 2·0,2·5, 3·0 or all leaves (control) remained. Basalleaves were subsequently removed as necessary to maintain thetarget leaf complements. Only severe defoliation (leaf complements of 1·0 and1·5) induced a loss of viability in axillary buds. Lossof viability was greatest in reproductive buds present withinthe apical bud when the treatments were first imposed. Althoughthe most severe treatment (leaf complement 1·0) resultedin death of half the plants, in plants surviving that treatment,death of vegetative axillary buds was restricted to 21% of thevegetative buds at the three youngest node positions withinthe apical bud at the time of treatment application. No othertreatment induced any loss of viability of vegetative buds.There was no loss of viability of axillary buds at nodes formedafter the treatments were imposed. The frequency of initiationof inflorescences at nodes formed after treatments were imposeddecreased as defoliation severity increased. Severe defoliation resulted in marked changes in plant morphologyindicative of a sharp decrease in availability of intraplantresources. It was concluded that under severe defoliation: (1)the potential for vegetative growth (as represented by viablevegetative axillary buds) was maintained at the expense of reproductivegrowth; and (2) that the loss of viability of axillary budswas associated with the sudden changes in physiological processesinduced by defoliation as there was no loss of viability inbuds formed after plants had adjusted their phenotype to oneof smaller size. Trifolium repens L.; white clover; defoliation; axillary buds; viability; inflorescences     

Development and Growth Potential of Axillary Buds in Roses as Affected by Bud Age

The effect of axillary bud age on the development and potentialfor growth of the bud into a shoot was studied in roses. Ageof the buds occupying a similar position on the plant variedfrom 'subtending leaf just unfolded' up to 1 year later. Withincreasing age of the axillary bud its dry mass, dry-matterpercentage and number of leaves, including leaf primordia, increased.The apical meristem of the axillary bud remained vegetativeas long as subjected to apical dominance, even for 1 year. The potential for growth of buds was studied either by pruningthe parent shoot above the bud, by grafting the bud or by culturingthe bud in vitro. When the correlative inhibition (i.e. dominationof the apical region over the axillary buds) was released, additionalleaves and eventually a flower formed. The number of additionalleaves decreased with increasing bud age and became more orless constant for axillary buds of shoots beyond the harvestablestage, while the total number of leaves preceding the flowerincreased. An increase in bud age was reflected in a greaternumber of scales, including transitional leaves, and in a greaternumber of non-elongated internodes of the subsequent shoot.Time until bud break slightly decreased with increasing budage; it was long, relatively, for 1 year old buds, when theysprouted attached to the parent shoot. Shoot length, mass andleaf area were not clearly affected by the age of the bud thatdeveloped into the shoot. With increasing bud age the numberof pith cells in the subsequent shoot increased, indicatinga greater potential diameter of the shoot. However, final diameterwas dependent on the assimilate supply after bud break. Axillarybuds obviously need a certain developmental stage to be ableto break. When released from correlative inhibition at an earlierstage, increased leaf initiation occurs before bud break.Copyright1994, 1999 Academic Press Age, axillary bud, cell number, cell size, pith, shoot growth, Rosa hybrida, rose     

Growth Dynamics and Morphology of Annual Shoots, According to their Architectural Position, in Young Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carriere (Pinaceae)

The influence of shoot architectural position on growth andbranching pattern of young Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manettiex Carrière trees were studied. Extension growth andtype of axillary products (lateral bud, sylleptic short or longshoots) of annual shoots of increasing branching order (mainstem, branches and branchlets) were recorded weekly during the1993 growing season. Annual final shoot length, duration ofextension, and maximum extension rate decreased with increasingbranching order. Sylleptic axillary shoots occurred only onannual shoots of the main stem and branches and were producedwhen extension rate was at its highest. Differences in growthrate and final length of annual shoots, according to their architecturalposition, were related to differences in the total number anddiversity of types of sylleptic axillary shoots produced. Itis suggested that types and numbers of sylleptic axillary shootsproduced are linked with threshold values for both final lengthand extension rate of the parent shoot. Copyright 1999 Annalsof Botany Company Atlas cedar, extension growth, sylleptic branching, tree architecture, morphology.     

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     

Morphological plasticity of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in response to spatial and temporal resource heterogeneity

Heterogeneity in resource distribution has been an important selective force shaping morphological plasticity in plants. When resources are patchily distributed, changes in morphology are assumed to affect placement of the resource-acquiring structures (roots and leaves) such that they enhance the plant's capacity for resource uptake. Morphological development of four white clover (Trifolium repens) genets was studied in two glasshouse experiments. In the spatial experiment, two substrates (potting soil and sand) were used to create the following discrete patch combinations, sand-sand, soil-sand, sand-soil, and soil-soil. Stolons grew across each combination and consecutive ramets from a given stolon permitted rooting in each substrate pair. In the temporal experiment, the two ramets were first rooted in sand only. After a predetermined period, the sand was replaced and the same substrate combinations created as in the spatial experiment. In each experiment, total developmental time within a given substrate combination was held constant. All measurements were conducted on the second (i.e., younger) of the ramet pairs. In the spatial experiment, ramets rooted in soil had significantly greater branching frequencies than ramets rooted in the sand substrate, regardless of genotype or the preceding substrate type. Ramets occupying the sand-sand combination had the lowest branching frequencies but branch production for the ramet rooted in sand was higher if the preceding ramet was rooted in soil. The substrate occupied by a preceding ramet had no influence upon branching propensity if a ramet was rooted in soil. There were no significant differences in branching frequencies between the sand and soil substrates in the temporal experiment. The relationship between branching and substrate thus depended upon whether a ramet was exposed to a given substrate type during its early development. In both experiments, branched ramets in the soil-soil combinations had significantly greater shoot mass than corresponding ramets in the sand-sand combinations. Internode length was significantly shorter in the soil versus sand combinations of the spatial experiment but was unaffected by substrate in the temporal experiment. Leaf area and stolon width showed significant genotype2treatment interactions in both experiments but no consistent trends were evident; petiole length was unaffected by substrate.     

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     

Variation in growth of overwintered stolons of contrasting white clover populations in response to temperature, photoperiod and spring environment

The response of overwintered stolons of nine contrasting white clover populations to temperature, photoperiod and natural conditions was studied in six environments during the spring. Rate of leaf appearance, leaflet length, petiole length, stolon internode length, dry matter distribution within the plant and total dry weight were measured on 15 plants of each population/environment combination. Most characters, except leaf size and proportion of dry matter allocated to leaf, responded positively to temperature in the range 10 – 20°C. A positive effect of photoperiod extension was also found for all characters except rate of leaf appearance, internode length and distribution of dry matter to leaf. Population differences in response to environment were found which were related to both leaf size classification and origin. Stolon dry weight was positively correlated with leaf length, petiole length and stolon internode length in most environments. The relationships between the eight characters were often complex and canonical variate analysis provided a convenient way to discriminate between the populations based on all eight characters.     

Gibberellin, daylength and temperature effects on floral and vegetative development in white clover

The effects of gibberellin A₃ (GA₃) application on five white clover populations was assessed in both glasshouse and controlled environments. Daylength, temperature and GA₃ interactions were also examined. Gibberellin A₃ did not induce vegetative plants to flower when daylength and temperature requirements were not met. In flowering plants, GA₃ increased the number of reproductive buds per stolon and peduncle length, but did not affect other floral characters. Gibberellin A₃ depressed total stolon numbers, but increased the number of nodes per stolon, internode length, leaf area and petiole length.     

Origin and Development of Axillary Buds in Jute (Corchorus capsularis)

The bud initials are laid in the usual manner in the primordialmeristem in the case of branching plants of Corchorus capsularis.The non-branching character of some varieties is due to thedifferent structural organization of the shoot apex. In thenon-branching plants the absence of bud initials is associatedwith early vacuolation of the meristematic cells. Cases occurof sporadic development of a few axillary and extra-axillarybuds.