Evolution of the Flowering Pathways

Abstract

Flowering plants are some of the most successful organisms on Earth, particularly those used in agriculture due to the widespread distribution produced by farming activities. The correct moment of the year to flower is a crucial decision as it strongly compromises the success of the progeny and is thus strictly controlled. Crops have been artificially selected to flower in those conditions better adapted for human production, and many genes related to flowering time are selected as targets for breeding programs. These characteristics reflect a complex regulatory pathway that has to respond both to predictable and unexpected changes in the environment. This plasticity confers the flowering plants with a genetic toolkit to adapt to varied habitats and changing environmental conditions. Recent advances in massive acquisition of data from many different species belonging to the green eukaryotic lineage allow us to make an evolutionary approach to the main mechanisms that influence the floral transition and how flowers are formed in modern plants. This work will review some of these aspects from the floral transition to the floral organogenesis.