A paper published this week on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) website sheds light on the genetic programs at the origin of flowers. In particular, the paper highlights how the genetic elements coding for flowers are already present in gymnosperm cones; and how differentiation of flower parts (petals, stamens, etc.) results from changes in timing and location of the expression of the genes involved in building flowers. This study is authored by several members of the Soltis lab, including the lead author Andr