Study on the Differentiation and Develop Process of Pre-winter and Post-winter Inflorescence of Chinese Chestnut(Castanea mollissima Bl.) First Flowering

Differentiation and develop processes of pre-winter and post-winter inflorescence of Chinese chestnut(Castanea mollissima Bl.) first flowering were studied by paraffin cut and field investigation.Results showed that,primordial formation of pre-winter inflorescence of the variety 'Qiancidabanli' initiated in mid-June,and terminated in mid-August.And it developed flower cluster bract primordial before dormancy.In early April of next year,when apical buds became green and budded,these inflorescence primordial continued flower cluster bract primordial developing,and flower cluster primordial appeared at the inner of the flower cluster bract.Field investigation results showed that,such inflorescence primordial would develop into staminate inflorescence.The primordial of post-winter inflorescence originated from lateral-bud-meristem-like primordial,which formed by flower bud apical meristem after the termination of primordial formation of pre-winter inflorescence;when shoot was budding the following year,these primordial developed into inflorescence primordial quickly,and could develop into female inflorescence or male inflorescence.