Vitamin B1and the Growth of Green Plants

Abstract

The vitamin B1 content of the root tips of etiolated pea seedlings, without cotyledons, increases only when the leaves are in the light. This is interpreted as signifying that vitamin B1 is formed in green leaves in the light and is thence transported to the root. The results of earlier work are adduced to show that good growth of the roots, such as may be brought about by supplying vit. B1 to such etiolated pea seedlings, without cotyledons, benefits, indirectly, the growth of the shoot. Exps. were then carried out with plants grown in the greenhouse, either in sand culture or in soil. Vitamin B1 was supplied in the nutrient soln. in the case of the sand cultures, or in the water, at the rate of 0.01 mg. to 1 mg. per liter. Numerous spp. of plants[long dash]e.g., Camellia japonica and Aleurites jordii[long dash]exhibited better shoot growth as the result of the vit. B1 treatment. The growth of fast growing annual plants was not increased under similar conditions.