Genetics of Floral Development in Petunia

In the last two decades the genetic and molecular research on floral development has advanced tremendously. Initially the research focused mostly on the two species of which the homeotic floral development mutants formed the basis for the ABC‐model: Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum. In recent years the importance of studying a wider range of species, especially in an ‘‘evo‐devo’’ context, has become more and more evident. This review summarizes advances in the understanding of the genetic control of floral induction, inflorescence formation, and floral organ formation in Petunia. Moreover, we put the knowledge on Petunia floral development in the broader perspective of what is known on floral development in other species, thus pointing out diVerences and resemblances in the regulatory systems that ultimately form the basis for the enormous variation in flower shapes.