| joan gero: I think your observation is right on the mark. Plant hormones and pheromones are being studied extensively now in relation to stress, growth and yield. I believe it is still in its infancy.
Of the many hormones in the plants ( auxins, gibberellins,cytokinins etc.) one hormone,Brassinosteroid, is a stress hormone which also acts as a growth hormone. It is very similar to the human hormone(s) produced by the adrenal cortex in humans. In humans, however, its production is controlled indirectly by the thyroid glands (thryroxine) and directly by pituitary gland(Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)). Since plants don't have a circulatory system they produce their hormone in each cell.
Brassinosteroid is produced in high amounts under stress and that causes the plant to grow,including flowers.
I believe that the group of auxins and gibberellins have more than 100 individual compounds and they are all being currently studied.
The fact that stress causes premature blooms has been known /observed for at least a few centuries.
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