Lipid changes in maturing oil‐bearing plants

Abstract

Abstract Flax and safflower blossoms were tagged at the onset of fertilization. At intervals of approximately 10 days, samples of leaves, seeds, bolls, and bracts were collected, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and kept in deep‐freeze until analyzed. A comparison of the behavior during maturation of the seeds of Raja and Rocket flax and Indian safflower showed the following points of similarity and difference. Flax and safflower seed had similar patterns for changes in total extractable matter and true free and true bound lipid, dry matter, iodine absorbed by the seed oil, and isotopic carbon incorporation. The phosphorus and nitrogen contents of the free and bound lipid of flax and safflower seed had different patterns of variation. At a given stage of development, fresh flax seed tissue insafflower tissue. The effect of adverse growing conditions was reflected more clearly by the behavior of safflower than by that of flax. Raja and Rocket flax developed similarly and differed only in regard to response to climatic conditions.