Development of the gibberellin-induced ovulate strobilus of western red cedar: quantitative requirement for long-day → short-day → long-day

Abstract

The induction of flowering in western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn.) by gibberellin (GA3) has a quantitative requirement for long-day (LD). However, the strobilus does not develop fully under LD. Full development does occur though, if the photoperiod sequence of short-day (SD) → LD is given after an initial period of 3+ months under LD for induction. For the male, continued development entails a slight expansion and the shedding of pollen. For the female, it involves expansion from a tight 2-mm bud to a 15-mm cone, even without pollination. Cold increased the number of developing strobili, although it did not affect the date of first expansion. GA3 concentration had little effect on continued strobilus development under SD or LD. The present study indicates that continued development of the strobilus has a photoperiodic requirement that can be likened to the requirement of SD → LD of some flowers for anthesis. The requirement for SD is quantitative rather than qualitative, an increasing number of short-days will increase the number of expanding strobili, and eventually (18 to 30 months) some strobili will develop even under continuous LD. Continued development of the strobilus will not take place under SD alone, LD must follow. Therefore, the LD requirement in the sequence SD → LD appears to be qualitative in nature. This does not appear to be true for another conifer, Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica Greene). These strobili will develop under SD, but their development is enhanced by the sequence SD → LD.