- Vernalization
- Vernalization: the stimulation of flowering in some plants by exposing them to a period of low temperature.
- Some biennial and perennial plants require this cold exposure before they will flower; the stimulus may be perceived by the seed embryo or the stem apex.
- LDPs, SDPs and DNPs may all require vernalization in species where it applies. The hypothetical hormone responsible is called vernalin.
- Significance: photoperiodism and vernalization adjust plants’ reproductive behaviour to their environment, ensure flowering at the appropriate time of year, and help synchronise flowering within a species to encourage cross-pollination and cross-fertilization.