Bio Project & help with cut flowers

[JFRUGOLI at BIO.TAMU.EDU]

Ross Koning's replies to these requests are very thorough and to the 
point, but I do want to add that vibrations DO have a documented effect 
on plants,though maybe not one measureable without molecular tools.  All 
of Janet Braam's work on the touch genes in Arabidopsis, (published in 
Cell, Plant Phys, and elsewhere) might be worth a look.

Also, aspirin in the water of cut flowers may have an effect on floral 
life because of the well documented effects of salicylic acid on the 
induction of defense genes (measured in hours), though I don't know if 
anyone's looked at this in cut flowers with the concentrations availible 
in a single aspirin tablet (I spray whole plants with 5mM SA as part of 
my work and get a dramatic response).  Back in 1994 there was a short 
piece in Scientific American about this that would be a bit dated, but 
definitely quite readable.

(Now I need to get back to work!)