THE BLOOMING OF GRASS FLOWER DEVELOPMENT

The past half decade has provided a wealth of information concerning t he molecular and genetic control of floral organ and meristem identity in dicotyledonous plants. Comparatively little is understood about th ese processes in grass species in spite of the importance that these s pecies play in human agriculture. The isolation of grass genes that ar e homologous to dicot floral homeotic genes in combination with recent advances in reverse genetic technology and improvements in cereal tra nsformation opens the door for understanding molecular mechanisms of g rass flower development. Such information will also focus attention on the evolutionary relationships between grass and dicot flowers and th e degree to which the developmental pathways leading to reproductive o rgan development in divergent angiosperms have utilized conserved mech anisms.