Abstract
Decapitation, gibberellin A3, high light, their combination, and certain levels of indole-3-acetic acid increase ethylene evolution and also induce branch hyponasty (upturning) in seedlings of Cupressus arizonica Greene, the increase in ethylene preceding obvious hyponasty. Exogenous ethylene also causes branch hyponasty and branches of seedlings maintained in an atmosphere scavenged of ethylene by mercuric perchlorate grow downwards. It is concluded that ethylene may play a role in the apical control of branch angle in some conifers. The positive effect of ethylene in increasing branch hyponasty may be direct, or reflect changes in levels of endogenous auxin and/or gibberellin.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abeles, F.B.: Ethylene in plant biology. New York, London: Academic Press 1973
Brown, K.M., Leopold, A.C.: Ethylene and the regulation of growth in pine. Can. J. For. Res. 3, 143–145 (1973)
Hansen, D.J., Bendixen, L.E.: Ethylene-induced tropism of Trifolium fragiferum L. stolons. Plant Physiol. 53, 80–82 (1974)
Kozlowski, T.T.: Growth and development of trees, vol. 1. New York, London: Academic Press 1971
Kuo, C.C.: Growth retardation and nutritional stress in relation to vegetative growth and reproductive differentiation of seedlings of Cupressus arizonica Greene. Ph. D. dissert., Univ. of Calgary, Alta., Canada 1973
Leopold, A.C., Brown, K.M., Emerson, F.H.: Ethylene in the wood of stressed trees. Hort. Sci. 7, 175 (1972)
McGraw, D.: An investigation into the role of gibberellins in apical dominance in the Cupressaceae. M.Sc. dissert., Univ. of Calgary. Alta., Canada 1973
Osborne, D.J.: Auxin, ethylene and growth of cells. In: Mechanism of Regulation of Plant Growth, pp. 645–654, Bieleski, R.L., Ferguson, A.R., Cresswell, M.M., eds. Wellington: Roy. Soc. N.Z. 1974
Pharis, R.P.: Probable roles of plant hormones in regulating shoot elongation, diameter growth and crown form of coniferous trees. In: Tree Physiology and Yield Improvement, pp. 291–306, Cannell, M.G.R., Last, F.T., eds. New York: Academic Press 1976
Pharis, R.P., Kuo, C.G.: Physiology of gibberellins in conifers. Can. J. For. Res. 7, 299–325 (1977)
Pharis, R.P., Kuo, C.G., Glenn, J.L.: Gibberellins, a primary determinant in the expression of apical dominance, apical control and geotropic movement of conifer shoots. In: Plant Growth Substances, pp. 441–448, Carr, D.J., ed., Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1972
Pharis, R.P., Ruddat, M., Phillips, C.: Gibberellin, growth retardants and apical dominance in Arizona cypress. Naturwissenschaften 52, 88–89 (1965)
Westing, A.H.: Compression wood in regulation of branch angle i gymnosperms. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 92, 62–66 (1965a)
Westing, A.H.: Formation and function of compression wood in gymnosperms. Bot. Rev. 31, 381–479 (1965b)
Zimmermann, M.H., Brown, C.L.: Trees: structure and function. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1971
Ziv, M., Koller, D., Halevy, A.H.: Ethylene and the geotropic response of lateral branches in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). Plant Cell Physiol. 17, 333–339 (1976)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blake, T.J., Pharis, R.P. & Reid, D.M. Ethylene, gibberellins, auxin and the apical control of branch angle in a conifer, Cupressus arizonica . Planta 148, 64–68 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385443
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385443