New light shed on flowers' 'petal-dropping' processes
New light shed on flowers' 'petal-dropping' processes A new study has shed new light on the process, known as abscission, that governs how and when plants shed their petals. Washington : A new study has shed new light on the process, known as abscission, that governs how and when plants shed their petals. Lead author O Rahul Patharkar from the University of Missouri said that insight into the process of floral abscission in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana provides a foundation for understanding this fundamental process across organs and in other plant species. The earliest steps of abscission involve changes in a special layer of cells, called the abscission zone, at the base of the flower and as a flower matures, cells in this layer begin to separate from one another along the entire length of this zone, creating a clean rift between the base of the flower and the petals. As the rift enlarges, the petals will fall off and be sent tumbling to the ground. Patharkar ad...