Ethylene Production and Action during Foliage Senescence inHedera helixL.

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Abstract
Detached leaves of Hedera helix remained green in the dark for 20 d. Exogeneous ethylene increased respiration, endogeneous ethylene biosynthesis and non-protein ninhydrin-positive compounds, while promoting losses of chlorophyll and sucrose. The sensitivity of the leaves to exogenous ethylene (1–100 mm3 dm-3) varied greatly with time of year. Ethylene treatment increased ADP, ATP, UDP and GTP appreciably but had no effect on other nucleotides. Leaves senescing naturally on the parent plant increased their rates of ethylene evolution and oxygen uptake. These results support the view that endogenous ethylene plays an integral part in the senescence of detached and attached ivy leaves.