GROWTH PERIODICITY AND THE SHOOT TIP OF ABIES CONCOLOR

Parke , Robert V. (Colorado State U., Fort Collins.) Growth periodicity and the shoot tip of Abies concolor. Amer. Jour. Bot. 46(2) : 110-118. Illus. 1959.—The terminal shoot of Abies concolor shows a marked seasonal activity or growth periodicity of the meristmatic regions. Hence, the annual developmental sequence may be divided into three growth phases: the rest phase, during which the fully formed telescoped shoot remains in a state of suspended growth; the first growth phase, during which the telescoped shoot elongates rapidly and gives rise to numerous cataphylls; and, the second growth phase, during which shoot elongation is completed and a new unelongated axis bearing many needle primordia is formed. The shoot tip of Abies consists of 4 clearly definable cytohistological zones; the apical initials, the sub-terminal mother cells, the peripheral zone, and the zone of central tissue. The shape of the shoot tip and the volume of its various cytohistological zones change markedly during the annual growth sequence, but the basic zonation pattern remains the same.