An analysis of the effects of gibberellic acid on the leaflet structure of dwarf cultivars of pea (Pisum sativum)

The effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) on the penultimate leaflets of dwarf and normal cultivars of pea were investigated. In control plants, the leaflets of the dwarf were heavier, thicker, and had a smaller surface area than the normal. Epidermal and palisade cells of the dwarf were longer than those of the normal cultivar and the dwarf had longer spongy mesophyll cells and more layers of spongy mesophyll than the normal, with fewer intercellular spaces.Application of GA3 to dwarf plants increased leaflet surface area and length of epidermal cells, while leaflet weight and thickness and the number of layers of spongy mesophyll cells decreased. No significant changes in the leaflet of the normal cultivar were induced by GA3.The overall effect of GA3 application to the dwarf cultivar was to induce a degree of differentiation in the penultimate leaflets such that they tended to resemble more closely those of the normal cultivar.