The Senescence of Cut Daffodil Flowers Correlates with Programmed Cell Death Symptoms

Daffodils are among the most popular bulbous plants for cut flowers, especially Trumpet cultivars. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in cut daffodil flowers and to determine the response of perianth senescence in cut daffodil flowers in a different way than the corona does and to determine whether the senescence of cut daffodil flowers is correlated with PCD symptoms. During the senescence of cut daffodil flowers, there was an increase in free proline, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide contents and increased catalase activity. Typically, senescence processes occurred faster in the perianth than in the corona, excluding carbohydrates, which had a higher content in the perianth than in the corona. One of the symptoms of daffodil flower senescence was the degradation of cell nuclei. In addition, chromatin fragmentation could also be observed in the corona. The nuclei in the perianth began to change their spherical shape and decay. In the corona, the nuclear envelope retained its continuity much longer and started to disintegrate later than in the perianth. This is possibly because the corona has a longer vase life than the perianth.