Leaf senescence and clonal growth of white clover

Leaf senescence is a programmed event where resources are mobilised from older tissues to the meristematic regions of the plant. In white clover (Trifolium repens L.), leaf and stolon senescence have an important impact on the persistence of the legume in pasture. As part of our investigation of leaf senescence, we have evidence for a central role for the plant hormone ethylene and have identified genes encoding ethylene biosynthetic enzymes. In this paper we include data showing some physiological changes as leaf tissue undergoes senescence and present evidence for the role of ethylene in regulating this process.