Modeling of spatial variations of growth within apical domes by means of the growth tensor. II. Growth specified on dome surface

Abstract

Variations of the elemental relative rate of growth are modeled for parabolic, elliptic and hyperbolic domes of shoot apices by using the growth tensor in a suitable curvilinear coordinate system when the mode of area growth on the dome surface is known. Variations of growth rates within the domes are obtained in forms of computer-made maps for the following variants of growth on the dome surface: (1) constant meridional growth rate, (2) isotropic area growth, (3) anisotropy of area growth which becomes more intensive with increasing distance from the vertex. In variants 1 and 2 a maximum of volumetric growth rate appears in the center of the dome. Such a distribution of growth seems to be unrealistic. However, the corresponding growth tensors are interesting because they can be used in combination with other growth tensors to get the expected minimum volumetric growth rate in the dome center.