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Interrelation of alkaloid content and stage of development of 1- and 2-year-old Atropa belladonna L.

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Summary

A study was made of the course of the alkaloid content in the aerial parts of both 1- and 2-year-old A. belladonna during growth. This content is not steady. One-year plants reach the maximum content during or just after flowering, when the plant bears a few green berries, while 2-year plants reach the maximum content in a very young stage. During flowering, however, the content drops to a low level to reach a peak again when the plant bears a good many green berries.

When judging the plants for alkaloid content it is important to harvest all plants in the same stage of development. If they are harvested at one time it would be certain that all plants would have been influenced by the same environment for the same length of time. However, a critical comparison of the potentialities of the different plants would not have been achieved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Horticultural Plant Breeding, Wageningen

    G. Elzenga & J. W. de Bruyn

Authors
  1. G. Elzenga
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  2. J. W. de Bruyn
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Elzenga, G., de Bruyn, J.W. Interrelation of alkaloid content and stage of development of 1- and 2-year-old Atropa belladonna L.. Euphytica 5, 259–266 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00038847

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00038847

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