Rhythmic Growth in Excised Sprout‐leaves of Onion Bulbs

Sprout leaf preparations, consisted of the inner 6 or 7 sprout leaves attached to the base plate of bulbs of Allium cepa cv. Downy Yellow Globe. The preparations excised from dormant bulbs were capable of sprouting. The elongation of the sprout leaves in the light was inhibited by a field pretreatment of 2000 mg/1 M.H.-30 (30% maleic hydrazide) and stimulated by incubation in the dark. Rapid cooling of the bulbs prior to excising of the preparations had no effect on sprouting. The ability of the sprout leaf preparations to elongate followed a cyclical time course, displaying maxima 8 to 12 weeks apart. Pretreatment with M.H.-30 inhibited this periodicity.