Correlations between reproductive and vegetative growth in a 6-year-old Virginia pine plantation.

Abstract

Ninety-four percent of the trees in a Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana Mill.) plantation produced female flowers at 6 years of age, and 92 percent of the trees produced male flowers. The average number of female flowers per tree was 23; the average number of male catkin clusters was 149. Flower production at age 6 was much more closely related to past flower production than to height or diameter growth. Heritability estimates of female flower production from the half-sib families were 0.59 and 0.65 for the years 1968 and 1970. Estimates of male flowering heritability were 0.48 and 0.44 for 1969 and 1970. Flower production did not appear to be detrimental to juvenile height growth, as the flowering trees were significantly taller during 3 of the 4 years of flower production.

Citation

Bramlett, David L. 1971. Correlations between reproductive and vegetative growth in a 6-year-old Virginia pine plantation. Research Paper SE-88. Asheville, NC. USDA-Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 6 pp.