INFLUENCE OF BASAL AND CAULINE LEAVES ON CORM PRODUCTION IN LIATRIS-SPICATA CV CALLILEPIS

The effect of the removal of different amounts of stem on different pl ant parts was evaluated. Early stem removal increased the number and w eight of daughter corms harvested per plant compared with the corms pr oduced by middle and late stem removal and the control (untreated). Mi ddle and early stem removal increased the total weight of all corms ha rvested per plant compared with the other treatments. Early stem remov al increased the basal leaf area per plant compared with late stem rem oval and the control. All the treatments (pinching of the stem) increa sed the number of daughter corms per plant weighing more than 11 g and decreased the number of those weighing less than 3 g; corms of an int ermediate weight were unaffected. The total chlorophyll content of bas al leaves was greater than that of the cauline leaves during corm enla rgement. The study of the distribution gradient of assimilates showed that corm enlargement basically occurred at the expense of assimilates produced by the basal leaves, while the role of the cauline leaves wa s less important.