Development of Flowers and Changes in Various Sugars during Opening of Cut Carnations1

Bud-cut carnations kept in opening solutions had about the same diameter, weight, and vase-life as those cut when mature. For opening solutions, sucrose (30g/liter) appeared to be more efficient than glucose. The flower quality at full opening was better with sucrose although the vase-life was slightly longer with glucose. The flower development seemed to depend on the exogenous sugar supply and on the concomitant accumulation of soluble reducing sugars. When cut carnation flowers were supplied with a solution of 14 C glucose, only a fraction of the glucose was transformed into sucrose in the stem. The level of 14 C hexoses rose in petals, resulting from sucrose hydrolysis in the petals and from glucose directly translocated. A strong isomerase activity occurred in the petals. The leaves had no particular function in the translocation and transformation of sugars. These results are different from those reported earlier for roses.