Figure 2

rps10b-1 affects axillary bud initiation and growth in the wild-type and the max2-1 mutant backgrounds. (a-d) Rosette centres seen from above at early flowering stage. The primary inflorescences were between 1.7 and 2 cm long and were removed to reveal the rosette leaf axils. Scale bar in (a) for (a-d) 5 mm. (e-g) rps10b-1 affects axillary shoot formation at cauline nodes. Scale bars in (e-g) 2 mm. (e) Wild-type cauline node with a leaf (white dot), a cauline branch (white star) and a small accessory axillary bud (white arrow). (f,g) Some cauline leaf axils of rps10b-1 appear empty. (h) Quantitative analysis of rosette axillary shoot development at the reproductive stage (when the tenth flower on the primary inflorescence opened). For ten rosettes per genotype, all the leaf axils were examined under a dissecting microscope and the developmental stage of the axillary shoots scored into four classes given in the key (defined in detail in the Results section). The percentages of rosette nodes occupied by each class were calculated for each individual plant and the average percentages (±SEM) for each genotype are shown.