More about when/when plants know to flower

Gary doji@hawaii.rr.com
Fri, 23 Dec 2005 18:02:14 PST
Hi Joe,

> FT is made in the leaves and tells a plant "when" to flower.  However, FD
> tells a plant "where" to make the flowers (i.e., at the shoot tip).  The 
> two
> molecules  (FT and FD) work together in the shoot tip; in normal plants it 
> is only
> when they are both together in the same place at the same time that 
> flowers
> are made.  Thus, even if FT travels to the roots or other leaves, flowers 
> are
> not be made in those places because FD is not present.  FD is only made in 
> the
> shoot tip where it waits for FT to arrive, thence the two partners begin 
> the
> floral process

This is exciting and fascinating news to me.  I won't have time to read the 
references for a while, so may I ask about abberant flowers?  What comes to 
mind is cauliflorous plants (jackfruit), repeat flowering on a spur (apples 
I can't remember the term), subteranian flowering (a few orchids), and 
amphigeal plants that flower from the roots and from the stems.

Thank you for bringing the subject up.

Merry Christmas to all,

Gary in Hilo, HI
. 



More information about the pbs mailing list