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Ethylene and Senescence in Petals of Tradescantia ¹

MSU-ERDA Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Flowers of Tradescantia (clone O2) which are ephemeral, produce ethylene during senescence with the maximum rates occurring during the initial period of fading. Senescing isolated petals produce ethylene in a similar manner, exhibit a loss of membrane semipermeability, and exogenous ethylene hastens the onset as well as the subsequent rate of this loss. The aminoethoxy analog of 0.1 millimolar rhizobitoxine completely inhibits ethylene production by isolated petals but only partially the loss of membrane semipermeability. Isolated petals acquire a sensitivity to ethylene as they mature, becoming fully sensitive on the day of anthesis.