EFFECT OF SOME CHEMICALS ON CUT DAHLIA FLOWERS

The chemicals tested on cut dahlia flowers significantly affected flower opening but their effect on flower longevity was negligible.
Cultivars varied in their response to an exogenous sugar, generally glucose being more effective than sucrose or fructose.
Glucose, fructose and sucrose were detected in the rayflowers of the freshly cut "Purple Gem" dahlias, no sucrose was found and xylose was detected in the extracts at the time of wilting.
Sucrose in small amounts was present in the receptacles and disappeared by the time of wilting in the flowers not given an exogenous sugar.
No measurable amounts of sucrose could be found in the flower stalks.
An increase in total and reducing sugars occurred in the inner rayflowers of the intact and sugar-fed dahlias while a decline in their levels was observed in the outer wilting rayflowers.
All flower portions contained relatively small amounts of starch which seemed not to undergo major changes during flower ageing.
The highest level of free amino acids was found in the inner rayflowers and in the receptacles of dahlias not given an exogenous sugar.
Presence of sugar in a preservative solution prevented the accumulation of free amino acids.

III International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

A.J. Lukaszewska

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1980.109.33