Multiple Bud Growth and Multiple Wood Formation in the Seedlings of Monodora tenuifolia Benth.

Multiple bud formation in seedlings of M. tenuifolia Benth.and its bearing on xylem formation was investigated. It wasfound that seedlings under two years old had four to nine budflushes. The number of distinct growth rings in the older partsof the seedling such as the hypocotyl and the first, second,and third elongation growths did not tally with the total numberof bud flushes. On the other hand the number of growth ringscoincides with the number of bud flushes in later elongationgrowths. The fact that more wood occurs in the hypocotyl andin the first elongation growth than in subsequent elongationgrowths provides evidence that new wood is added with each budflush. Leaves were produced intermittently, and a leaf whichis about ten months old or less may fall away, but some seedlingsbecame completely leafless for the first time after 18 to 20months. Some of the seedlings started branching after this firsttotal leaf fall.