The role of leaves in sex expression in hemp and spinach

✍ Scribed by M. Kh. Chailakhyan; V. N. Khryanin

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 392 KB
• Volume: 144
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0032-0935
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00387272

✦ Synopsis

W h e n shoots o f y o u n g plants o f h e m p (Cannabis sativa L.) a n d spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) were cultured as cuttings and allowed to regenerate adventitious roots, ca, 8 0 -8 5 % became female (formed pistillate flowers) regardless of whether the leaves were left on the plants or were cut off (except for the 2-3 u p p e r m o s t ones) after the beginning of a d v e n t i t i o u s -r o o t formation. But when the leaves were cut off and the cuttings treated with gibberellic acid (GA3, 25 mg/1) ca. 7 7 -8 0 % o f the plants became male (formed staminate flowers). The result was quite similar when roots and leaves o f y o u n g h e m p plants were r e m o v e d at the same time and the cuttings treated with G A 3. It is suggested that the leaves play an essential role in sex expression in h e m p and spinach and that this role is related to gibberellin synthesis in the teaves.