| Abstract: | The relation between plastochron stage, apical anatomy, and thymidine-C14 incorporation was studied in the shoot apex of Chrysanthemum morifolium ‘Albatross.’ Apices were sorted into early, middle, and late plastochron stage under a dissecting microscope, fixed, and sectioned longitudinally so that median sections included known sectors of the apical flank. Study of these sections revealed no discernible difference between apices in early, middle, or late plastochron with respect to regularity of cell pattern, presence of a cambium-like zone, appearance of the second tunica layer or staining pattern with pyronin or with toluidine blue. Likewise, apices that had been treated with thymidine-C14 for 2-4 hr showed no differences between the three stages in number or distribution of labeled cells. |
