Carbohydrates and Flowering in Hesperaloë funifera (Koch) Trel. (Samandoque)

Autor: Steven P. Mclaughlin, Ryan R. Williams
Jazyk: English<br />Spanish; Castilian
Rok vydání: 2000
Předmět:
Zdroj: Botan‪ical Sciences, Iss 66 (2000)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2007-4298
2007-4476
DOI: 10.17129/botsci.1612
Popis: Several researchers have noted that flowering in Agavaceae requires substantial resources, but few studies have attempted to directly measure such resources. T his study addresses the hypothesis that fruit set in Hesperaloë funifera is limited by available carbohydrates. The accumulation of total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) prior to flowering was measured, and total requirements for carbohydrate were estimated. Hesperaloë funifera was found to accumulate fructans, and roots were an important organ for storage of accumulated carbohydrates. Carbohydrates stored in the plant prior to flowering are sufficient to meet only about onethird of the carbohydrate needed to produce an average inflorescence with 1 % to 2% fruit set. All of the carbohydrate produced by photosynthesis from May through August is needed to support flowering and fruit production. Low percentage fruit set in Hesperaloë funifera is probably due to a deficiency of carbohydrate resources.
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