Containing contributions from experts from the USA, Europe and New Zealand, this book provides an overview of the molecular mechanisms associated with flowering. The first edition was published in 1993 as The Molecular Biology of Flowering. The second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to cover the major advances that have been made in the area in the last 13 years. It has also been extended to examine the new commercial opportunities provided by biotechnology. It explores three main themes: the external and internal regulation of flowering, floral development, and fertilization and gametophyte development, and includes new chapters on the evolution of flowers, floral senescence and apomixis.