Bud development in Larix occidentalis. I. Growth and development of vegetative long shoot and vegetative short shoot buds

Abstract

Vegetative terminal long shoot buds (TLSB) and short shoot buds (SSB) were studied throughout the annual growth cycle in several trees over several years. TLSB were not totally preformed. The dormant TLSB consisted of bud scales enclosing some basal leaves and both were borne on a broad receptacle. Centripetal to the basal leaves, a series of axial leaf primordia was borne on the flanks of the apex. After dormancy a second series of axial leaves was initiated above those initiated before dormancy. Basal and both series of axial leaves elongated during shoot elongation as the terminal apex again initiated axial leaves, bud scales, and then basal leaves. After shoot elongation the first series of axial leaves was initiated before the TLSB became dormant in October. No dimorphism occurred between predormancy and postdormancy axial leaves or axial and basal leaves. Axilliary buds were initiated in the TLSB about the time of flushing. All leaves did not bear axillary buds. All axillary buds rapidly initiated a series of bud scales and then entered a slower phase of bud-scale initiation and rapid apical enlargement. Leaf primordia then were initiated at the base of the apex and borne on the broad receptacle. Apices then differentiated into axillary long shoot buds (ALSB) or SSB. ALSB developed similarly to TLSB, whereas axillary SSB initiated leaf primordia at the base of the apex and all but the last primordia to be initiated were borne on the broad receptacle. Axillary SSB were preformed but ALSB were not completely preformed and both became dormant in mid-October. The apex of a short shoot lived for up to 8 to 10 years. In each successive year it passed through phases of bud-scale initiation and leaf initiation to form a dormant preformed SSB which flushed after overwintering. Annual short shoot elongation was about 1 mm. The LSB and SSB apices varied in shape and size during the year but apical zonation was similar in all apices. Larix vegetative bud development is compared with that found in other gymnosperms.