abscisic acid or (formerly) abscisin II or dormin or ABA; 5-(1- hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-4-oxocyclohex-2-en-1-yl)-3-methylpenta- 2,4-dienoic acid; a chiral sesquiterpene. The naturally occurring form, the 2Z,4E,S isomer, also designated (S)-abscisic acid, is a phytohormone formed by the degradation of carotenoids. It controls abscission in flowers and fruit but probably not in leaves, and is also implicated in geotropism, stomatal closure, bud dormancy, dormancy of seeds requiring stratification (i.e. those that will only germinate after exposure to low temperatures), and possibly tuberization.
