Temperature Effects and Anatomical Characteristics on Supercooling Ability and Water Content of Rhododendron yedoense Maxim. var. poukhanense Nakai and R. simsii Planch.

산철쭉과 영산홍의 과냉각 능력과 수분함량에 관한 온도 영향 및 해부학적 특성

Twigs bearing floral buds of Rhododendron yedoense var. poukhanense(Ryp) and R. sinmsii(Rs), hardy species in Korea, were used to investigate the cold hardiness in relation to the developmental and anatomical characteristics, and the changes of water content. In floral buds of both species, the reproductive organs, pistils and stamens, matured within the bud scales in early ctober to prepare for a cold acclimation. The ray parenchymatous areas occupied in xylem were 41% in Ryp and 38% Rs. As the storage temperature is raised from 2 to 17$^{\circ}C$, water content increased more highly in Rs than in Ryp. Exotherm temperature of floral bud in Ryp was generally lower than that in Rs. The result supports that the higher cold-hardiness is achieved owing to the earlier maturation of floral buds, to the larger area of ray parenchyma in xylem, and to the lesser increase of water content as the storage temperature is raised.