Quantitative anatomy of grapevine (Vitis L.) leaf blade

Abstract

Valentine S. Codreanu

Current investigations were conducted to clarify the features of grapevine which are adaptive to drought and can be used in selection and introduction of Vitis L. There are determined biometric values of 21 morpho-anatomic characters of leaf blade for 10 species of grapevine, 10 cultivars of V. vinifera L. and 10 distant hybrids V. vinifera × Muscadinia rotundifolia Michx. As a result of this study 6 leaf blade quantitative characters which determine relative grapevine drought resistance were described. The most drought resistant species, sorts and hybrids of grapevine are that which have: a) greater average thickness of leaf blade; b) smaller surface (average area) of leaf blade; c) less ratio between average area and average volume of dried leaf blade; d) greater mass of dried leaf blade; e) higher degrees of the leaf succulence and sclerophylly.