he expression of the floral regulators DFL, a LFY/FLO homologue from Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium was examined during short day light treatments. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR experiments showed that DFL was expressed in the vegetative apices and throughout the shoot apex following photoperiodic induction. After 5 days of induction, DFL expression was increased markly and expressed in highest levels after 20 days induction. Expression of DFL in the shoot apex at the time of floral determination indicating that DFL gene is involved in the first steps of the transition from vegetative to reproductive development.