The Effect of Temperature Changes on the Expansion of Individual Leaves of Vicia faba L

The growth in area of the sixth leaf of field bean plants was investigated in growth room experiments. Temperatures were varied during the periods from appearance to unfolding and from unfolding to full expansion. The effects on the duration of growth were greater than those on absolute growth rates. Counts of epidermal cell number showed that the changes in final leaf area could be explained by changes in epidermal cell size for these temperatures and these times of treatment. Epidermal cell number was not affected by the treatments.