Fig. 5:  Hypothesized flowering network in C. pallens . In C. pallens , ATFL1 acts as the key floral integrator gene. During non-inductive conditions, homologues of floral repressors including FRI-like, AP2 and SVP can block the process of floral transition. Photoperiodic (GI, CO) and vernalization (VRN1, VRN2) pathways may interact to activate the expression of FT -like genes during spring every year. However, only plants with sufficient internal cues (e.g. sucrose content (TPS1 ), maturity (SPLs ) and gibberellin (GA)) are able to respond to the external signals such as summer temperatures (PIF4,5 ) which can then elevate the expression of CpATFL1 to induce flowering in the following season. The orange boxes indicate homologues of the floral integrator genes identified in C. pallens. The solid lines indicate co-expression of genes based on the transcriptomic data and known literature, while the question mark indicates a hypothetical co-regulation between two genes which may not have been discovered yet. Genes represented with black and white ink, respectively represent the up- and down-regulation in the expression of corresponding genes observed in the tillers that flowered in the next season compared to tillers that remained vegetative.