A long day plant is a plant that requires less than a certain number of hours of sunlight in

each 24 hour period to induce flowering. Long day plants typically flower in the late
spring or early summer Plants use the phytochrome system to sense daylength or
photoperiod.

A short day plant is a plant that cannot flower under the long days of summer. Short day
plants typically flower in the fall of the year. These plants require a certain number of
hours of darkness in each 24 hour period (a short daylength) before floral development
can begin. Plants use the phytochrome system to sense daylength or photoperiod.

The hypothesis used to explain how water can travel upwards against gravity in a plant.
Transpiration is believed to play a large factor in this, where the cohesive water travels
upwards replacing water lost.

photoperiodism

(Science: biology) Events triggered by duration of illumination or pattern of light/dark

cycles: often the wavelength of the illuminating light is important as for example in
control of circadian rhythm in plants.

See: phytochromes. The response by organisms in response to the availability of light in

their environment. Photoperiodism plays a part in some organisms [[biological clock but
is primarily related to the way light affects plants flowering and the state of phytochrome.

The Pressure-Flow Hypothesis

This is essentially a source and sink hypothesis. Food substances that are in solution flow
from a source, which is generally where water is taken up by osmosis (roots; food storage
tissues, such as root cortex or rhizomes; and food producing tissues such as mesophyll in
leaves), and the food substances are then given up at a destination or a sink where the
food resources will be utilized in growth. The idea is that the organic solutes are moved
along concentration gradients existing between sources and sinks.

APICAL

a condition where vertical growth supercedes lateral growth in a plant. this is controlled
by auxins, where in high concentrations can inhibit growth but on the whole promote it.
Removal of the apex can induce lateral growth.

Gibberellins (GAs) are plant hormones that regulate growth and influence various
developmental processes, including "stem elongation, germination, dormancy, flowering,
sex expression, enzyme induction and leaf and fruit senescence."[1]
Gravitropism [or geotropism] is a turning or growth movement by a plant or fungus in
response to gravity. Charles Darwin was one of the first Europeans to document that
roots show positive gravitropism and stems show negative gravitropism. That is, roots
grow in the direction of gravitational pull (i.e., downward) and stems grow in the
opposite direction (i.e., upwards). This behaviour can be easily demonstrated with a
potted plant. When laid onto its side, the growing parts of the stem begin to display
negative gravitropism, bending (biologists say, turning; see tropism) upwards.
Herbaceous (non-woody) stems are capable of a small degree of actual bending, but most
of the redirected movement occurs as a consequence of root or stem growth in a new
direction.

Phototropism, is directional plant growth in which the direction of growth is determined

by the direction of the light source. Phototropism is one of the many plant tropisms or
movements which respond to external stimuli. Growth towards a light source is a positive
phototropism, while growth away from light is called negative phototropism (or
Skototropism). Most plant shoots exhibit positive phototropism, while roots usually
exhibit negative phototropism, although gravitropism may play a larger role in root
behavior and growth. Some vine shoot tips exhibit negative phototropism, which allows
them to grow towards dark, solid objects and climb them.

. Thigmotropism is a movement in which an organism moves or grows in response to

touch or contact stimuli. The prefix thigmo- comes from the Greek for "touch". Usually
thigmotropism occurs when plants grow around a surface, such as a wall, pot, or trellis.
Climbing plants, such as vines, contain tendrils that coil around supporting objects.
Touched cells produce auxin and transport it to untouched cells. Some untouched cells
will then elongate faster so growth bends around the object. Some seedlings also inhibit
triple response, caused by pulses of ethylene which cause the stem to thicken (grow
slower and stronger) and curve to start growing horizontally.

Hydrotropism is a directional growth response in which the direction is determined by a

gradient in water concentration but a most common example is that of plant roots
growing in humid air bending toward a higher relative humidity level. Hydrotropism is
very difficult to observe for roots grown in soil for several reasons, such as: