ISHS Acta Horticulturae 543: VII International Symposium on Postharvest Physiology of Ornamental Plants
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL OF ANTHESIS IN METROSIDEROS EXCELSA (Myrtaceae) |
| Authors: | R. Henriod, P.E. Jameson, J. Clemens |
| Keywords: | Metrosideros excelsa, temperature, photoperiod, floral development |
| Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of environmental factors in floral development of Metrosideros excelsa, a species currently being trialed as a highly ornamental container plant. Cultivars of M. excelsa were grown in greenhouses and under outside summer conditions using a factorial combination of two levels of photoperiod (ambient daylength or daylength extended to 16 h) and temperature (ambient temperature or warm: 21/14°C) until plants reached anthesis. Quantitative measurements were conducted on a weekly and daily basis examining changes in inflorescence size and rates of development. Rates of floral development were significantly increased under the controlled warm treatments versus ambient temperature conditions. An environment with warm temperatures and ambient daylength provided the optimum conditions for extended life of inflorescences. The size of inflorescences and vegetative shoots arising from inflorescences were significantly affected by the main effects of daylength and temperature, respectively. The results of this study successfully provided an environmental method for controlling anthesis in this species. | |
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