Abstract
SUSSEX1 has reported that in apices of potato shoots the presumptive area of I 1, the next leaf due to arise, develops into a centric leaf, having the shape of a narrow cone, if isolated from the rest of the stem apex by a vertical cut. Such structures are what we previously called radial leaves2. He concludes that the normal dorsiventrality of the leaves is induced by the stem apex. On the other hand, in Lupinus albus we found that the presumptive areas of I 1 and of I 2, the next younger leaf again, when similarly isolated, gave rise only to fully dorsiventral leaves with leaflets2. We have therefore now isolated by vertical cuts in several potato apices the presumptive area of I 1, or of I 2; but these areas gave rise only to dorsiventral leaves, except in one apex which was seen to be suffering from loss of turgor some hours after the operation. In this apex the isolated I 1 area gave rise to a radial leaf. In a further series of operations on potato apices we made the isolating cuts deep and inserted thin pieces of mica, to keep them open and to prevent substances from diffusing across them. The pieces of mica were left in position for some days, by which time the isolated leaf could usually be seen to have arisen. After about a fortnight the apices were pickled and sectioned, and the cuts were found to be still open. Even in these apices all the isolated presumptive areas which developed further, eight I 1 and two I 2 areas, gave rise to dorsiventral leaves, though one of the leaves, an I 1, was partly tubular. Many of these leaves had indeed looked conical at first when seen in the solid, but when examined in sections later they were seen to be fully dorsiventral, though their blades were often curved inwards towards the stem. These results are quite different from those reported by Sussex, and do not indicate that in potatoes the dorsiventrality of the leaves is induced by the stem apex.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Sussex, I. M., Nature, 170, 755 (1952).
Snow, M., and Snow, R., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., B, 221, 1 (1931) 225, 63 (1935).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SNOW, R., SNOW, M. Experiments on the Cause of Dorsiventrality in Leaves. Nature 173, 644 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1038/173644a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/173644a0
This article is cited by
-
Signalling between the Shoot Apical Meristem and Developing Lateral Organs
Plant Molecular Biology (2006)
-
Recent experimental studies of the shoot apex and shoot morphogenesis
The Botanical Review (1965)
-
Experiments on the Cause of Dorsiventrality in Leaves
Nature (1954)
-
Experiments on the Cause of Dorsiventrality in Leaves
Nature (1954)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.