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Genetic analyses of floral induction in Arabidopsis has defined several pathways that regulate when the phase change from vegetative to reporductive growth is initiated. These pathways regulate flowering through the perception of daylength and of cold temperatures (vernalization), as well as through developmental (autonomous) controls. The autonomous pathway promotes flowering through negative regulation of FLC levels (FLC is a repressor of flowering). On pages 1427­1436 of this issue, Schomburg et al. present that the identification of FPA is a component of the autonomous pathway and, as illustrated by the fpa mutant on the cover, loss-of-function fpa mutations result in substantially delayed flowering. FPA is predicted to encode an RNA binding protein. A previously identified component (FCA) of the autonomous pathway also appears to function as an RNA binding protein, and thus FLC regulation through this pathway may be at a post-transcriptional level.