Studies of Rest Period. III. Respiratory Changes in Leaf Primordia of Maple Buds During Chilling

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Abstract
A previous paper (Biol. Abstr. 33:42931) reported changes in the respiratory pattern of embryonic leaf primordia from seeds as the rest period was broken by low temperature after-ripening. The leaf primordia of buds of the silver maple, Acer saccharinum, were studied by an identical method to permit comparison of the 2 systems. No growth could be detected during chilling to break the rest period. Respiration of individual leaf primordia, as measured with the Cartesian diver microrespirometer, increased as a result of exposure of the trees to low temperature, but declined when trees were stored at room temperature. The use of 2,4-dinitrophenol indicates that respiration of chilled leaf primordia is more closely coupled to synthetic processes than that of leaf primordia from unchilled trees. These respiratory trends are similar to those in embryonic leaf primordia from cherry seeds.