Drooping of flower heads: mechanical and structural studies of a well-known phenomenon.

, one of the most loved cut flowers, is (in)famous for the drooping of its flower heads under dehydration. This effect has been quantified by analysing both fully turgescent and wilting peduncles of 'Nuance'. Wilting peduncles display pronounced bending in the region directly below the inflorescence after 24 h of dehydration, while the rest of the peduncle remains upright.