Relation between freezing temperature and length of conifer needles

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Abstract
The relationships between freezing temperature (or supercooling) and length, weight, and water content of Pinus and Cedrus needles were investigated. Freezing temperature was an increasing function of each of these three variables. When Pinus needles were cut proximally to uniform length (50 mm), supercooling was unaffected by either weight or water content. Thus, ice nucleation temperature was an increasing function of the length of needles, or, more precisely, of the length of the stele, or, still more precisely, of the number of water-conducting capillary units contributing to that length, but ultimately of the number and quality of favorable nucleation sites contained therein. It is suggested that nucleation takes place at sites associated with the cell walls and not on nucleators suspended in the water.

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