An excised tissue system consisting of corolla rib segments was developed to study the relationship between senescence and ethylene production in morning-glory flowers (Ipomoea tricolor). Such segments, isolated 1 or 2 days (day -1 or day -2) before flower opening (day 0) passed through the same developmental phases as did the corresponding tissues of the intact organ. When excised on day -1 and incubated overnight, the rib segments turned from purple to blue and changed from a slightly curled to a flat configuration. On day 0, these segments rolled up during the afternoon and turned purple again, as did the ribs of an intact corolla; the rolling up coincided with an increased rate of ethylene production. Premature rolling up and associated ethylene evolution were induced by ethylene or propylene treatment. When segments were excised on day -2 and incubated overnight, there were no changes in color or shape; during day -1, no spontaneous rolling up and little ethylene evolution occurred. Application of ethylene or propylene to these immature segments elicited rolling up but did not stimulate endogenous ethylene production.Overnight treatment of segments cut on day -1 with 10(-6)m benzyladenine markedly retarded spontaneous rolling up and ethylene evolution, although the response to applied ethylene was only slightly slowed. Overnight treatment of segments cut on day -1 with the ethoxy analog of rhizobitoxine (10(-5) to 10(-4)m) resulted in almost complete (>99%) inhibition of both spontaneous and propylene-induced ethylene evolution. Although spontaneous rolling up was delayed, it was not abolished, and ethylene-induced rolling up was almost unaffected.These data indicate that an ethylene-generating system develops as an integral part of the aging process in flower tissue. Ethylene hastens aging of the flower, but may not play an obligatory role in flower senescence.