Abstract
Several observations were made regarding leaf and tiller arrangement and on the relationship between this arrangement and the overlapping of leaf sheath margins. The following results were obtained. When examined from the side of the even numbered leaves in the main stem the first leaves of the primary tillers were found to emerge either to the left or to the right of the line joining the midrib of odd numberred and even numbered leaves of the main stem (fig. 1, 2). The ratio of these two types of the first leaf emergence was about the same. The first leaves of n group tillers (n represents secondary, tertiary or higher tillers) emerge in direction of (n-2) group tillers when looked along the line joining midrib of odd numbered and even numbered leaves of the (n-1) parent tiller. The prophyll has a narrow margin and a broader one. The first leaf of the tiller enclosed by the prophyll emerged in the direction of the narrow margin of the prophyll. The two margins of the leaf sheath are found to be overlapping according to an orderly pattern. The first leaf of the tiller emerged from the direction of the overlapped margin of the leaf sheath sustending the tiller (fig. 1, 2). Occasionally it was observed that the emergence of the first leaves in some tillers and overlapping of margins of some of the leaf sheath occurred independently of the above mentioned orderly patterns. The n group tillers have twisted so that their first leaves move closer to the (n-1) group parent stem. When a large number of such tillers emerged from a single parent stem, they got themselves placed in an are, their first leaves orienting innerside (fig.3). These orderly arrangement of leaves and tillers in the rice plant will be useful in identifying various, tillers and in finding the correct number of leaves in those tillers.
