ANATOMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF FLORAL TUBE ELONGATION OF CROCUS VERNUS (IRIDACEAE)

Abstract

Intact floral tubes of Crocus vernus grown under controlled conditions elongated 50 mm in 8 days. Mitoses of the epidermal cells did not occur during the growth of the intact tube; however, cells did elongate from 50 μm to 150 μm, a three‐fold increase in cell length. When the floral buds were excised and maintained in distilled water, elongation of floral tubes was inhibited by 46%. The presence of the ovary or the addition of nutrients had no significant effect upon the elongation of the floral tubes of excised buds. When the excised floral buds were placed in 10–6 m indoleacetic acid, the final tube lengths exceeded that of the water controls by 30% and achieved 91% of the elongation of the intact tubes. Gibberellic acid and kinetin had no effect on floral tube elongation. As with the intact floral tubes, mitoses of the epidermal cells did not occur during the elongation of the excised floral tubes.