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The flowering in Lemna gibba G3, a long-day plant, was promoted under continuous light by agmatine, putrescine, spermidine and spermine present in the culture medium. Methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) and cyclohexylamine (CHA), inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis, were found to suppress the flowering in the plants. The vegetative growth rate was kept constant while the flowering was being promoted by the polyamines, and the inhibitors with depressive effect on flowering showed stimulatory effect on vegetative growth. The pattern of vegetative growth during floral promotion or depression was an indication that the promotive action of the polyamines and the suppressive effect of the inhibitors may be outcome of their possible involvement specifically in the flowering process rather than in broad spectrum of growth of L. gibba G3. The degree of promotive action of spermdine and spermine could not be altered (or lessened) by simultaneous application of their inhibitors to the medium. This phenomenon indicates that the flowering process in L. gibba G3 may largely be dependent to the status of endogenous spermidine and spermine. Endogenous level of spermidine in florally induced Lemna, was found to rapidly increase. In 24 h of floral induction, the content reached at the level 2 times higher than that in non-induced plants. The elevated level of spermidine provides an additional, though premature, evidence supporting the postulation that endogenous polyamine status might play an important role in the very early stage of floral induction in L. gibba G3.
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