No abstract

Morphophysiological characteristics of rhizomes and growth relationships between underground shoots and aboveground orthotropic shoots were studied in two species of perennial monocotyledonous plants-Hungarian brome ( Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub.) and reed canary-grass ( Phalaroides arundinacea (L.) Rauschert.). The underground metameric complex was shown to be comparable with the aerial shoots in terms of the number, biomass, and metabolic activity of the shoots. The role of the underground metameric complex in the source-sink system of perennial rhizome-forming cereals is determined by a significant proportion of rhizomes in plant biomass (30-50%), formation of a large amount of meristems in the underground stock of vegetative reproduction (more than 1000 per plant), a comparatively high respiration rate (1.5 mg CO 2 /(g dry wt h)), and a high nitrogen content (3.5%). No pronounced growth response was found in the rhizome upon plant treatment with growth regulators (GA and chlorocholine chloride) and upon decapitation of plant shoots. It is concluded that the underground metameric complex of the perennial monocotyledonous herbaceous plants is relatively autonomous from the orthotropic shoots.