MATERNAL DESCENDANTS OF THE TORTILLARD BE ECH (FAGUS-SYLVATICA L. VAR. TORTUOSA PEPIN) - DEVELOPMENT DURING THE FIRST 4 YEARS - 1 - FERTILITY, STRENGTH AND APPEARANCE OF THE TORTILLARD PHENOTYPE

In Verzy forest (near Reims, France), seeds were sampled from some tor tillard beeches (Fagus sylvatica L. var. tortuosa Pepin) after free po llination. After a dormancy breaking treatment performed in laboratory , seeds were sown in nursery and seedlings were cultivated for 4 years . The purpose of this study is to examine the fertility of tortillard beech and the occurrence of its phenotype during the first years of de velopment. According to our experimental conditions, full and empty se ed ratios, germination rate, and seedling annual survival rate were no t significantly different from those reported for the European beech i n literature. Among 486 tortillard maternal descendants, after 4 years , 25% of the individuals showed a special shape, characterized by reit erations, and could be considered as ''tortillards''. This phenotype a ppeared progressively during the second year of seedling development. The number of tortillards increased from one year to the next and thei r typical shape became more pronounced until they were 4 years old. Th ese results show that the tortillard variety is no less fertile and vi gorous than the European beech.