Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!princeton!mind!greg
From: greg@mind.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Synchronized flowering
Message-ID: <616@mind.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Mar-87 11:28:58 EST
Article-I.D.: mind.616
Posted: Fri Mar 20 11:28:58 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Mar-87 18:20:32 EST
References: <534@bcsaic.UUCP> <9336@duke.duke.UUCP> <351@gssc.UUCP> <630@bcsaic.UUCP>
Organization: Cognitive Science, Princeton University
Lines: 20
Keywords: plant chemical communication
Summary: do the *flowers* release the chemicals?

In article <630@bcsaic.UUCP>, michaelm@bcsaic.UUCP (Michael Maxwell) writes:
> 
> Fascinating idea: pheromones of the plant world.  And the flowers in question
> are indeed quite odiferous.  But everyone *knows*, this is just to attract
> insects.  What if everyone is wrong?
> -- 
> Mike Maxwell

Here's what I'm curious about: If one plant truly triggers another to
blossom by chemicals released by the *flowers*, then plant 1 must be
in full blossom in order to send the signal, and plant 2 is presumably
still waiting for spring -- it may have buds, but at an early enough
stage that it can hold off. Seems to me (rough guess, of course) that by
the time plant 2 is ready for plant 1, plant 2 is over the hill ...
So, either the chemical message is sent in some other way ("let's all
start blossoming!" rather than "I'm blossoming, so you should, too!")
or I'm completely confused ... (somebody please tell me one way or the
other ...)

Greg