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Nature 446, 956-957 (26 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/446956a; Published online 25 April 2007

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Elusive flowering signal pruned of mystery at last

Heidi Ledford

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Biologists home in on the chemical that puts plants in bloom.

Last week, two papers in Science reported the discovery of florigen, a long-sought compound with the power to make flowers bloom. But if the celebration of its discovery seems a little muted, it is because many researchers have heard this claim before.