Variation of Seedling Growth and the Content of Total Alkaloid of Fritillaria unibracteata Along Altitudinal Gradients

To provide theoretical support for artificial cultivation of Fritillaria unibracteat and to lay a foundation for protection of its wild resource,studies were made of the effects of altitudinal variation on seedling growth and the content of total alkaloid in this paper.The content of total alkaloid in Fritillaria unibracteata was measured by using acid dye colorimetry method.The seedling-height also was measured to evaluate its growth condition.The results showed that within a certain range of altitude,the height of Fritillaria unibracteata seedlings at the high and lower elevations were significantly lower than that at the medium elevation;The growth of seedling height was significantly faster from May to June than that from June to July.In conclusion,altitude exerted a strong influence on seedling growth and total alkaloid content of Fritillaria unibracteata,which might be mainly affected by the length of snow-free period,air temperature and soil water content.