Dormancy question.

From: Neil Gordon <neil at ng23.abelgratis.co.uk> on 2004.05.03 at 18:42:29(11472) What is it that actually brings Amorphophallus out of dormancy? Do they have an internal clock that says '......................NOW!' Or is it dependent on heat and water levels, or something else completely! +More Just wondering! Neil

From: "Michael Marcotrigiano" <mmarcotr at email.smith.edu> on 2004.05.03 at 19:27:40(11473) Not sure on Amorphophallus specifically but many of the plants that have had dormancy research done on them control it with the hormone abscissic acid (ABA). As ABA levels elevate the plant goes into dormancy. This can be caused by cold and short days for temperate zone plants or extended drought for wet/dry plants. Eventually the ABA levels drop and the GA levels rise (another hormone) and "buds break". Lots of these studies, especially the earlier ones are indirect, that is the observations are made after the exogeneous application of synthetic hormone rather than measuring natural homrone in situ, but with improved chemical analysis, it appears that early studies will hold up. +More _______________________________ Michael Marcotrigiano, Ph.D Director of the Botanic Garden and Professor of Biological Sciences Smith College Lyman Conservatory, 15 College Lane Northampton, MA 01063 email: mmarcotr@smith.edu voice: 413-585-2741; fax: 413-585-2744 www.smith.edu/garden www.science.smith.edu/~mmarcotr ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers and never succeeding." Marc Chagall >>> neil@ng23.abelgratis.co.uk 05/03/04 02:42PM >>> What is it that actually brings Amorphophallus out of dormancy? Do they have an internal clock that says '......................NOW!' Or is it dependent on heat and water levels, or something else completely! Just wondering! Neil

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