title: Morphology of seedling lentil (Lens culinaris Medic., Fabaceae) as influenced by light intensity and heredity.
abstract: Lentil seedlings (Lens culinaris Medic.) were grown out-of-doors, in a shaded greenhouse or in a controlled environment chamber (15 degrees C, 14 hr day under a bank of incandescent and fluorescent lights). Bright light promoted branching of seedlings and inhibited internode elongation. Internodes formed after transfer of plants from high to low or from low to high light intensity were like those grown in continuous high or low light intensity. Branching was enhanced following transfer from high to low light intensity. Transfer from low to high light intensity resulted in stimulation of lateral bud development only if irradiance was very high (full sun). Third generation lines from single seed selections exhibited segregation of internode lengths. F4 hybrids of a cross between a "tall" and a "short" plant showed a similar segregation. Number of leaflets per leaf increased from two at nodes 3 and 4 to four at node 7 in the species of lentils examined (L. culinaris, L. orientalis, L. ervoides, L. nigricans) regardless of light intensity.
mesh_terms: D007887:Fabaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008027:Light; D010507:Periodicity; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013696:Temperature