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A Note on the Dichotomous Branching of the Main Stem of the Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum)

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Patron: Her Majesty The Queen Rothamsted Research Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ

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A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Caldwell, J. 1930. A Note on the Dichotomous Branching of the Main

Stem of the Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum). Annals of Botany. 44

(174), pp. 495-498.

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https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/item/96x74/a-note-

on-the-dichotomous-branching-of-the-main-stem-of-the-tomato-lycopersicum-esculentum

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A Note on the Dichotomous Branching of the Main Stem of the Tomato (Lycopersicum

esculentum)

Author(s): JOHN CALDWELL

Source: Annals of Botany, Vol. 44, No. 174 (April, 1930), pp. 495-498

Published by: Oxford University Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43237245

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A Note on the Dichotomous Branching of the Main

Stem of the Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum).

BY

JOHN CALDWELL, PH.D.

(. Department of Mycology , Rothamsted Experimental Station , H ar penden y Herts.)

With three Figures in the Text.

FOR laboratory the purposes it is of necessary the investigations to have on a Virus continuous Diseases supply carried of out tomato in this laboratory it is necessary to have a continuous supply of tomato plants. These are grown from seed and the seedlings are planted out in

pots as required. It has been noticed that there is a tendency for the first foliage leaves to have an abnormal structure. One type of variation is not uncommon. The distal portion of the leaf is frequently forked so that the terminal pinnae are 1 double ' and the rachis is usually split so that there are two equal terminal pinnae. When this is so the two sides of the leaves are quite symmetrical. Among the plants under observation in the house, however, appeared the present one in which the ' dichotomous ' habit

was much more evident.

The occasional appearance of forked leaves suggests that there is a tendency in the case of the tomato to have abnormal cell-divisions of the apical meristem which give rise to apparent dichotomy, and the occurrence of this plant indicates that this abnormality is not impossible of occurrence even in the stem apex.

The tomato plant has normally a three-fifths leaf-divergence and the branching is monopodial. In the plant under observation the first few leaves and the lower part of the stem presented a perfectly normal ance. Almost immediately above the fourth leaf, however, the stem divided equally and gave the appearance of a dichotomously branching plant. There was no further dichotomous branching and the normal podial structure was continued. An examination of the two limbs of the plant showed that they were identical as regards both the number of the lateral members and the places of their insertion on the stem. It will

be seen from Fig. i that each leaf on one branch has its fellow on

the other.

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496 Caldwell. - A Note on the Dichotomous Branching of

Cases of simple dichotomy in Dicotyledons have from time to time been recorded. Worsdell (1) cites examples viz. the stems of the Jerusalem

Fig. it Tomato plant showing the bifurcating stem.

Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus ), of Maesa ramentacea^ of Wall-flower ( Cheiranthus cheiri) and the Stonecrop ( Sedům reflexům ).

In order to decide definitely that the present example was not merely an apparently equal development of the main stem and of an axillary shoot a study of the anatomy was made. Fig. % indicates the appearance of the stem at the place of forking. The leaf and its accompanying bud are clearly visible just below the region of division. This practically disposes of the possibility of one of the stems being axillary in origin. On the opposite side of each of the stems behind the rather swollen node are leaves each with an axillary bud, equal in size and corresponding in position.

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the Main Stem of the Tomato [Ly coper sicum esculent um). 497

Further evidence that the stem was not axillary in origin was furnished by the examination of the vascular anatomy. In the tomato stem there are main groups of common bundles with connecting vascular tissue, forming a continuous stellar ring. When an axillary

shoot grows out the vascular connexions are made entirely from the common bundle

with which is connected the leaf in the axil

of which it arises. It is thus a simple matter to recognize the out-growth of a lateral

shoot from the examination of the vascular tissues of the stem.

In the present specimen there was a

bud in the axil of the fourth leaf so that a

few sections in this region sufficed to give examples of this type of vascular nexion. The vascular arrangement in the region of bifurcation is very different. The sections in Fig. 3 illustrate the salient features of the two types. The first section (3 a) was made just below the fourth leaf, the second (3 b) in the region of the fourth leaf, the third (3 c) between this leaf and the fork, and the fourth (3 d) at the lower end of the fork. Just above the fourth

leaf the stem becomes rather flattened and

increases in width in a direction at right angles to the length of the leaf. after a split appears in the vascular tissue, possibly associated with the difference in constitution of xylem tissue at this place

Fig. 2ģ Diagram of stem in region of

forking.

and the initiation of the vascular tissues of two stems is evident. The point of interest is that in this case the two systems arise by the splitting of the stele of the stem. One is not formed, as in the case of an axillary shoot by the outgrowth of tissue from one of the common bundles of the main stem. Actually the division of two of the main vascular groups are to be seen in

the sections. Each of the two limbs of the fork is therefore a true 6 main

stem '

The evidence indicates, that in the present instance, the forking was due to a dichotomous division of the main stem and not to the òver-growth of a lateral shoot with simulated dichotomy. The fact that the two stems are identical may be fortuitous or it may indicate that, the meristem having divided equally at an early stage, the resultant halves developed in exactly

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498 Caldwell. - Dichotomous Branching of Tomato Stem.

Fig. 3. Diagram of transverse section of stem at different levels. ( a ) 1 Normal mam stem ; ( ) in region of fourth leaf ; ( c ) between fourth leaf and fork ; (d) at base of fork.

development of each of the parts seems to have followed the same course as would have been followed by the main stem had it continued normal growth

under similar circumstances.

Literature cited.

References

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