Ecosystems
The Natural Spies Inside Bird Feathers
Tiny grains of pollen are revealing the secret lives of birds, acting as natural tracking devices that tell scientists where they have been.
Close Encounters
Botanists Trip Over The Light Fantastic When They Try To Understand Flower Colour
What humans see in a flower is nothing like the multi-stage sensory journey that guides insects to blooms.
News in Brief
Strangely, Pitcher Plants Might Try To Warn Their Prey Not To Enter
Pitcher plants may be using red colouration to warn potential pollinators away from their traps.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Hidden Networks Inside Brazilian Savanna Plants
Deep in the cells of a pink-flowered Brazilian plant, researchers have found unexpected living highways of connected cells.
The Week in Botany
The Week in Botany February 3, 2025
A weekly roundup of the news and papers you’re sharing on social media.
News in Brief
An Anonymous Botanist has Poisoned a Herbarium in New York in an Unusual Way
My guess: Professor Plum, in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, with the suspicious green bottle.
News in Brief
#WhoIsABotanist?
With plant knowledge touching so many parts of our lives, what is it that makes someone a Botanist?
Computational Models
How Trees’ Responses to Rainfall Frequency Could Help Improve Climate Models
Climate models often struggle to capture the timing of leaf drop. A new study finds that scientists haven’t been looking at rainfall the way plants have.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Tree Gene Supercharges Plant Growth in Changing Light
Nature’s own solution to inefficient photosynthesis has been discovered in poplar trees, offering a new way to help plants thrive in changing light conditions.
News in Brief
Botanic Gardens Have Little Room To Grow
Plant collections in botanical gardens worldwide have hit maximum capacity and face new challenges for conservation.
Close Encounters
The Love Lies and Sweet Rewards of Australian Orchids
New research uncovers how Australian orchids seduce fungus gnats with a sophisticated blend of chemical perfumes and sugary bribes.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
How Amazon Trees Marched to the Atlantic Forest
Ancient rainforest trees found hidden highways through Brazil’s drylands, making more than a dozen epic journeys from the Amazon to the Atlantic coast over twelve million years.