Induction of Flowering in Wild Lettuce (Lactuca Serriola L.)

Summary A comparison of the phenology of plants grown from buried seeds recovered at monthly intervals with plants grown from non‐vernalized and from artificially vernalized seeds showed that seeds which germinate in the field before mid‐summer are hastened in their development and are therefore able to complete their life‐cycles before the end of the growing season whereas those which germinate after mid‐summer are devernalized and therefore remain vegetative until the following growing season. This appears to be the first time it has been suggested that devernalization might play an adaptive role in plants in the natural environment.