Summary
The number of proliferated seed cones (PSc) and proliferated pollen cones (PPc) borne by young plantation-grown Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. was established for trees aged 9–17 years from seed. A description and composition of a range of morphological forms of proliferations were produced. Through paired-comparison analyses, compositions of PSc and PPc were compared to those of nearby non-proliferated cones or to vegetative shoots. Between 41% and 88% of trees of different ages that bore seed cones also bore some PSc; 17–58% with pollen cones also had PPc. The total number of PSc represented 2.3–20% of total numbers of seed cones and PSc at each tree age; PPc represented 1.5–5.8% of the total. Proliferated seed cones were greatly diversified in forms ranging from only a few distal needle-like bracts to mainly needles with a few needle-like bracts. A similar range of diversity existed for PPc. Proliferations involving production of distal needles went on to produce a terminal bud. The diversity of morphological forms and their variable occurrence encountered in this study indicate that the developmental pathway of an apical meristem, although defined somewhat by differentiation, has a degree of flexibility. Manifestation of this developmental flexibility throughout a wild population indicates that this phenomenon may be a normal event in P. mariana.
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Caron, G.E., Powell, G.R. Proliferated seed cones and pollen cones in young black spruce. Trees 5, 65–74 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227487
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227487