Effect of frosting, moisture stress and potassium cyanide on the metabolism of cyanogenic and acyanogenic phenotypes of lotus corniculatus L. And trifouum repens L.

Abstract

KCN artificially added to leaves of cyanogenic and acyanogenic forms of L. corniculatus and T. repens at concentrations found in white clover plants reduced photosynthesis to zero. At the same concentration, respiration was only inhibited in the cyanogenic phenotype of T. repens. Higher concentrations of KCN inhibited respiration in both species but to a greater degree in the cyanogenic form of T. repens. Frosting and severely droughting entire plants generally reduced photosynthesis but had no effect on respiration in both species, irrespective of the presence of cyanide. © 1977, The Genetical Society of Great Britain. All rights reserved.