Floral Initiation in Alaskan Gramineae

Thirteen species of Alaskan grasses collected from various parts of the state initiated floral inflorescences in autumn. Initiation was followed by varying degrees of floral development, the amount varying with the species. Partially developed inflorescences overwintered with little injury. All indigenous species observed initiated in autumn, whereas grasses introduced from more temperate latitudes did not. Autumn initiation is a phenomenon of these far northern grasses that probably better fits them to their environment.