The Effect of Indoleacetic Acid upon Initiation and Development of Hypocotyledonary Bud Primordia in Flax

Abstract

1. The decapitated hypocotyl of flax, with its initial injury and the resultant injury effects, is in a pathic state during the course of the experiments reported here. The metabolic status of the hypocotyl at the moment of infliction of the injury, and the external conditions to which it is exposed after its mutilation, determine to what extent the injury effects terminate in recovery and shoot regeneration, or in death. 2. Single or repeated applications of lanolin alone to the wound of the decapitated flax hypocotyl produced no detectable effects upon survival of the hypocotyl or upon its initiation and development of hypocotyledonary buds. 3. Applications of 3% and of 1% indoleacetic acid in lanolin to the decapitation wound completely and permanently inhibited bud primordium development in the lower half, and bud primordium initiation in the upper half, of the hypocotyl. The treated plants died earlier than the untreated cut controls, as reported earlier for bean and tomato. 4. Application of 0.3% in...