Mm. West et Jna. Lott, STUDIES OF MATURE SEEDS OF 11 PINUS SPECIES DIFFERING IN SEED WEIGHT .1. ELEMENT CONCENTRATIONS IN EMBRYOS AND FEMALE GAMETOPHYTES, Canadian journal of botany, 71(4), 1993, pp. 570-576
Neutron activation analysis and spectrophotometric phosphorus analysis
gave quantitative determinations of elements in female gametophytes a
nd embryos from mature seeds of 11 Pinus species. High concentrations
of P, K, Mg, and S and significant concentrations of Cl, Ca, Mn, Zn, a
nd Fe were detected in both tissues. Within each species of Pinus, the
total mineral nutrient concentrations in haploid female gametophyte s
amples were similar to total mineral nutrient concentrations within di
ploid embryo samples. Seed size and weight varied greatly among the 11
species of Pinus investigated. P and Mg concentrations in female game
tophytes and (or) embryos were not correlated with seed weight. Inters
pecific seed weight was negatively correlated with female gametophyte
concentrations of S, Ca, Zn, and Fe, and also negatively correlated wi
th embryo concentrations of Mn, Zn, and Fe. Interspecific seed weight
was positively correlated with embryo concentrations of K and Cl. On a
per tissue basis, larger seeded species contained higher total amount
s of all the measured elements than small-seeded species.