Growth and Development of Horticultural Crops (1+1)

The development of the inflorescence

• In the vegetative period of growth, the internodes dwarf plants are very short, leading to the rosette growth habit. During early reproductive development, the SAM becomes an inflorescence meristem which produces a few cauline leaves and phytomers with much longer internodes. Floral meristems are borne on the flanks of the inflorescence meristem and develop to form the flowers. Later, secondary inflorescences develop which also bear flowers. The regulation of inflorescence and floral development is controlled by a complex network of interacting genes, (Yanofsky, 2001).