Branch architecture of sagebrush and bitterbrush: Use of a branch complex to describe and compare patterns of growth
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Authors: C. J. Bilbrough, and J. H. Richards
Date: 1991
Journal: Canadian Journal of Botany
Volume: 69
Number:
Pages: 1288-1295
Summary of Methods: Over a three year long experiment in Utah, sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana) had an overall linear (excurrent) growth form, with the leader long shoot much larger than lateral long shoots. Sagebrush produced many lateral long shoots and few short shoots. In contrast, bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) had a branched (decurrent) growth form, with few long shoots and many short shoots. The leader rarely grew and was no larger than laterals. Knowledge of the location, frequency, and size of vegetative long shoot production, within a branch complex, provides an understanding of the repeated structure of plants. The branch-level approach provides the information necessary to determine the effects of environmental factors on growth patterns.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: sagebrush, artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, bitterbrush, purshia tridentata, branch architecture, bud fates, developmental morphology
Annotation: Measurements were taken after the growing season.
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