QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIANT COENOCYTE, CAULERPA PROLIFERA

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Abstract
The lengths of rhizomes, rhizoid clusters, and leaves of many plants of Caulerpa prolifera cultured under controlled conditions were measured daily. Their rates and patterns of growth were analyzed mathematically with the aid of an electronic computer. All organs elongated at the rate of ca. 4.4 mm per day. Rhizomes elongated linearly for more than 2 weeks, and curvilinear regression usually did not improve the fit significantly. Rhizome elongation is apical. Every 1.18 days, on the average, a rhizoid cluster developed on the lower surface of each rhizome. The length of the younger rhizoid clusters shows a linear relationship to their distance from the rhizome tip. Little or no significant improvement of fit resulted from fitting polynomials of the 2nd through 4th degree. Accordingly, by extrapolating the straight line to zero rhizoid length, we calculated the presumptive site of rhizoid initiation to be 0.84 mm from the rhizome tip. The rate and distribution of growth were compared to those of other coenocytes and of multicellular plants.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (NONR 1858 (45), NR 104–765, GP–579)