To set the stage for studies on gene regulation in the cocoa plant, a detailed analysis of the sequence of floral development in Theobroma cacao L. is presented and compared with a well-studied model species Arabidopsis thaliana. Morphological measurements from time-lapse photography and LM and EM were used to create mathematical models of flower development. Comparison of the T. cacao floral developmental program to the rosid model system A. thaliana revealed that, although the final sizes and flower morphologies in the two species differ, their developmental programs are strikingly similar.
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