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From: geoffs@gssc.UUCP (Geoff Shapiro)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Synchronized flowering
Message-ID: <351@gssc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Mar-87 14:19:10 EST
Article-I.D.: gssc.351
Posted: Mon Mar 16 14:19:10 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Mar-87 05:50:51 EST
References: <534@bcsaic.UUCP> <9336@duke.duke.UUCP>
Reply-To: geoffs@gssc.UUCP (Geoff Shapiro)
Organization: Graphic Software Systems, Beaverton Or
Lines: 18
Keywords: plant chemical communication
Summary: Chemical communication in the plant world

I've been out of the field of biology for some 10 years now, but can
occasionally keep up on current news items. It seems to me that I recently
read an article which describes current research that might help explain
the synchronized flowering of the trees in Seattle.

This article explains that recent research has discovered that some members
of a plant population may induce other members of a population to some desired
(or advantageous) goal via chemical communication. What this means for the
Seattle tree population is that when environmental cues cause some members of
the population to start flowering, chemicals released into the air or the soil
(I don't know which, the researchers may not know either) induce other members
which have not yet started their flowering sequence to do so. The genetic
advantage of this should be quite apparent.

Hope this helps explain some stuff...

Geoff Shapiro
Graphic Software Systems