Alstroemeria Carbohydrate Partitioning

Abstract

<jats:p>Non flowering <jats:italic>Alstroemeria</jats:italic> `Regina' plants were divided into aerial components: stems and apical and basal leaves or underground components: rhizome, storage roots, stele and fibrous roots. Samples were collected from distal and proximal ends of the rhizome to allow comparisons between structures of different ages. Ethanol soluble sugars were extracted and measured using HPLC. Starch was degraded to glucose using amyloglucosidase and measured.</jats:p><jats:p>There were no age differences in the starch, total soluble sugar (TSUGAR) or total soluble carbohydrates (TCHO) in the rhizome or aerial portions of the plant. There was a preferential partitioning of starch, sucrose, TSUGAR and TCHO to underground plant parts. The storage roots were the primary sink for the stored carbohydrates. Stems contained large concentration of glucose while fructose was found in storage roots and old stems. Sucrose was found primarily in old steles and storage roots. Starch was partitioned almost exclusively into the storage roots with no difference due to age of the storage root. Up to 42% of the TCHO in the old storage roots was composed of a carbohydrate which co-chromatogramed with melezitose using HPLC.</jats:p>

Net Carbon Dioxide Exchange Rates and Predicted Growth Patterns in Alstroemeria `Jacqueline' at Varying Irradiances, Carbon Dioxide Concentrations, and Air Temperatures

“…Research on Alstroemeria has focused on promoting earlier winter and spring flowering (Healy and Wilkins, 1986a;Healy et al, 1982;Heins and Wilkins, 1976;Lin and Molnar, 1983) and extending harvest during warm growing conditions such as those experienced in the summer (Blom and Piott, 1990;Bridgen and Bartok, 1990;Lin, 1984Lin, , 1985. Although it has been suggested that the storage roots may be a primary C source for growth and subsequent flowering (Heins and Wilkins, 1979;Healy and Wilkins, 1982a), very little research exists on C assimilation (Leonardos et al, 1992a(Leonardos et al, , 1992b or partitioning in Alstroemeria (Aker and Healy, 1990;Graper and Healy, 1990).…”

Flower removal increases rhizome mass in natural populations of Alstroemeria aurea (Alstroemeriaceae)

“…It is interesting to notice that, in this study, root mass was not affected by flower removal, despite the fact that many roots are, like rhizomes, starch storing organs in A. aurea (Bond, 1991;Graper and Healy, 1990). The rhizome would act as a stronger resource sink and source than roots, which suggests that rhizomes are metabolically more active than roots in this species.…”