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Reproductive biology of Melaleuca alternifolia (Myrtaceae) 1. Floral biology

Baskorowati, Liliana; Moncur, M W; Doran, J.C.; Kanowski, Peter

Description

Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden Betche) Cheel is commercially important as the source of essential oil for the Australian tea tree-oil industry. Information on reproductive biology of M. alternifolia is important to the Australian breeding program directed at improving the quality and quantity of tea tree oil. Flowering in three geographically separated sites-two planted seed orchards and one managed natural population, all in NSW was observed in the present study, with supporting data obtained...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorBaskorowati, Liliana
dc.contributor.authorMoncur, M W
dc.contributor.authorDoran, J.C.
dc.contributor.authorKanowski, Peter
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-10T22:53:39Z
dc.identifier.issn0067-1924
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/59433
dc.description.abstractMelaleuca alternifolia (Maiden Betche) Cheel is commercially important as the source of essential oil for the Australian tea tree-oil industry. Information on reproductive biology of M. alternifolia is important to the Australian breeding program directed at improving the quality and quantity of tea tree oil. Flowering in three geographically separated sites-two planted seed orchards and one managed natural population, all in NSW was observed in the present study, with supporting data obtained from glasshouse-grown plants in Canberra. The majority of the work was conducted from 2004 to 2007, although the study also drew on some prior observations. M. alternifolia has spikes of flowers that open acropetally over a 6-day period. No strong separation of male and female phases was found in any individual flower; pollen was shed by 1.4 days after anthesis and the stigma reached peak receptivity 3-5 days after anthesis. Dichogamy and acropetal floral development may lead to geitonogamy. Flowering occurred during the months of OctoberNovember, with the peak in November, and was synchronous across all three sites. Flowering intensity and success in producing capsules appeared to be associated with total spring rainfall. Initiation of flowering in M. alternifolia appears to be correlated with daylength, or an environmental parameter closely correlated with daylength. Flowering intensity varied considerably among the years surveyed, sites and families, and appears to be promoted by a period of winter minimum temperatures below 5°C. In M. alternifolia, the morphological development of buds, flowers and fruit leading to the development of mature seed takes place over a period 16-18 months from flowering. M. alternifolia differed significantly in the number of viable seeds per capsule from individual trees, from 26±3.8 to 57±3.8 germinants.
dc.publisherCSIRO Publishing
dc.sourceAustralian Journal of Botany
dc.subjectKeywords: day length; dicotyledon; essential oil; geitonogamy; morphology; rainfall; reproductive biology; spatiotemporal analysis; Australia; Australian Capital Territory; Canberra; Melaleuca; Melaleuca alternifolia; Myrtaceae
dc.titleReproductive biology of Melaleuca alternifolia (Myrtaceae) 1. Floral biology
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume58
dc.date.issued2010
local.identifier.absfor060799 - Plant Biology not elsewhere classified
local.identifier.ariespublicationU4279067xPUB490
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationBaskorowati, Liliana, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationMoncur, M W, no formal affiliation
local.contributor.affiliationDoran, J.C., CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products
local.contributor.affiliationKanowski, Peter, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage373
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage383
local.identifier.doi10.1071/BT10035
local.identifier.absseo820199 - Forestry not elsewhere classified
dc.date.updated2016-02-24T10:51:22Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-77955081032
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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