Publication Date

12-1977

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Joe Winstead, Gary Dillard, Kenneth Nicely

Degree Program

Department of Biology

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Laboratory germinated seedlings of Liquidambar styraciflua L., sweet gum, from Barren County, Kentucky, subjected to a flooding or inundation test were shown to respond in significantly different ways than did the controls. Plants with root systems standing in water showed a much shorter period of non-dormancy than plants that were not subjected to submergence when both were grown under long day, warm temperature conditions in growth chambers. There was no evidence of transfer of a growth retardant or dormin-like compound in water transferred from plants grown under short day (long night) conditions to plants with roots submerged under long day (short night) periods.

The root weights and shoot weights of plants grown under long day dry conditions were significantly higher (.001 level) than the root and shoot weights of seedlings subjected to root submergence although there was no significant difference between the root-shoot ratios.

Plants receiving the submerged treatment showed significantly higher (.001 level) values of wood specific gravity than control seedlings grown under dry or normal test conditions.

Root stocks of the submerged plants showed anatomical differences when compared with plants not submerged during the test. Submerged root stocks possessed structures with superficially resembled enlarged lenticels.

Laboratory germinated seedlings of Liguidambar formosana Hance obtained from Taiwan showed no response to photoperoid under the warm temperature cycle (32-24 C). Once these seedlings were placed under a cooler temperature cycle (24-10 C) they exhibited cessation of growth and formation of dormant buds.

Seedlings of Liquidambar formosana differed from L. styraciflua seedlings in having significantly fewer (.001 level) stomata per leaf area, a significantly lower (.001 level) leaf area, and a significantly lower (.001 level) seed weight.

Disciplines

Biology | Life Sciences

Download

Included in

Biology Commons

Share

COinS