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XXII.—Studies on Flowering-Plant Growth and Organogenesis. II. The Modification of Sex Expression in Cannabis ativa by Carbon Monoxide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2012

J. Heslop-Harrison  and
Y. Heslop-Harrison
J. Heslop-Harrison
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, The Queen's University, Belfast.
Y. Heslop-Harrison
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, The Queen's University, Belfast.
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Synopis

Brief exposure in the young stage to carbon monoxide in concentration c. 1 per cent modifies subsequent sex expression in male plants of the dioecious Cannabis sativa (hemp), inducing the formation of intersexual or even functionally female flowers. The effect is registered in flower primordia of a particular age; older ones are already sexually committed, and younger ones apparently recover from treatment to pursue the genetically established path of ontogeny. Grafting experiments show that the stimulus is retained in the apex even when it is transferred to an untreated plant before the flower primordia have begun differentiation.

The effect of carbon monoxide in modifying sex expression is similar to that induced by auxin administration, and it is possible that the basic function of the gas at the effective concentrations is to upset auxin metabolism in treated tissues, perhaps by inhibiting enzyme systems normally responsible for regulating endogenous auxin levels.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 66 , Issue 4 , 1957 , pp. 424 - 434
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1957

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References

References to Literature

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