The Role of Daylength and Temperature in Tuber Formation and Rhizome Growth of Trientalis borealis Raf.

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Abstract
The effect of different photoperiods and temperature conditions on the tuber formation of Trientalis plants receiving otherwise similar treatment prior to initiation of growth was examined. Five treatments gave three variations in day length and two of temperature. Plants of the long-day treatments (17 hours) produced the greatest amount of storage biomass (rhizomes and tubers). However, the majority of this storage material was rhizome. Under conditions of shorter days, proportionately more of the total storage biomass was tuber and less rhizome than under the longer photoperiods. Plants receiving the natural photoperiod at Madison (April through July) produced the greatest number of tubers per plant; however, under conditions of short days (8 hours) and cool nights, the greatest amount of tuber dry weight per plant was produced. Plants receiving short days and cool nights yielded a significantly greater dry weight of tubers on a per-plant basis than did plants having the same photoperiod but warm nights. It is concluded that the conditions of warm light periods and cool dark periods are more favorable for this species than warm light and dark periods. It is assumed that warm dark periods result in high respiration rates that deplete carbohydrate reserves of this northern species. The decline in abundance of this species at the southern edge of its range may be due to unfavorably high night temperatures.

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