Ethylene, MCP and bulb flowers
Results for Narcissus

Ethylene accelerated weight loss by yellow daffodils. MCP did not affect weight loss but the flowers looked less wilted at 7 days.

Ethylene also caused wilting of white daffodils. Immediately after treatment, water-soaked streaks could be seen in the petals. By contrast MCP delayed wilting of flowers and delayed loss of weight, which was accelerated by ethylene.

Similar results were obatined with a third variety of Narcissus, although there was not such a big difference in weight loss by control and ethylene-treated flowers.

Narcissi have not been generally recognized as ethylene-sensitive flowers and these observations encouraged us to look at other readily available monocot flowers.

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