| Abstract: | Abstract Germination and growth of ABIES ALBA mill. in different light and temperature conditions. — The results of a research on white fir from different localities are summarized as follows: a) Germination of seeds from three italian localities (Tuscany, lat. 43°, 44'; Abruzzo, lat. 41°, 52'; Calabria, lat. 38°, 33') has been tested in several ecological conditions (temperature, light and chilling); it has been found that 22 °C, 8 hrs. of light and a 3 weeks prechilling at 5 °C, are stimulating conditions for all the seeds. The Cala-brian seeds seem the most reactive. b) Growth in different photoperiodic conditions has been tested on seedlings from the Appennine, from France (lat. 49°, 10') and Poland (lat. 49°, 39'). Growth is evidently stimulated by long-day conditions in all the seeds experimented and growth acceleration touches its maximum in the Calabrian seedlings, provided they germinated at 12°C in the ligth. It has been concluded that Calabrian Abies behaves as a Biotype, evidently distinguished from all the others, and an ecological explanation of this behaviour has been attemped. |
