Ethylene plays a key regulatory role in carnation flower senescence. Flower senescence is associated with a significant increase in ethylene production. Continued perception of this ethylene by the flower is necessary to sustain the climacteric rise in ethylene and the expression of senescence related genes associated with senescence. In addition, increased sensitivity by the flower to ethylene during development and senescence has been observed. In order to study the perception of ethylene at the molecular level, an ethylene receptor gene was cloned from carnation petals. The clone, CARETR, shows 68% homology at the nucleic acid level with the Arabidopsis ethylene receptor gene, ETR1. Northern blot analysis revealed that CARETR is present as a low abundant transcript in petals, styles, and ovaries. Further analysis also showed that CARETR is upregulated during flower senescence. Treatment with the ethylene action inhibitor norbornadiene (NBD) resulted in decreased levels of CARETR transcripts. These data suggest that CARETR plays a role in the increased sensitivity of carnation flowers to ethylene during flower development and is involved in staging the rapid and orchestrated death of the flower.