Shoot morphology and fate of buds in relation to crown location in young Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. subintegerrima

Abstract

The relationships between shoot size and morphological patterns and crown location were investigated in 6-year-old green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. subintegerrima (Vahl) Fern.). In general, shoots were shorter in the inner part of the crown compared with either the top or bottom near the periphery. The differences were related to a reduction in both metamer number and length. In some cases the lower crown location was similar to the upper; in other cases it was similar to the inside. The fate of buds along a shoot was generally dependent on shoot position in the crown. A greater proportion of buds became lateral shoots and inflorescences in the top compared with the bottom of the crown, and the fewest developed towards the inside location. As the number of metamers per shoot increased, there was an increase in the proportion of lateral shoots produced and a decrease in the proportion of inflorescences and (or) aborted buds. For shoots with the same number of metamers per shoot, those in the top produced a greater proportion of inflorescences and lateral shoots compared with the bottom or inside. In all crown locations, the highest number of buds aborted near the base, the greatest proportion of inflorescences occurred in mid-shoot regions, and the largest proportion of lateral shoots occurred near the tip. The information presented in this paper will be used as a component in developing a simulation model of crown development.