Taxonomy & Evolution
How does a plant give up on love?
Over the past 100,000 years some populations of Daphne kiusiana have been moving from finding partners to self-pollinating.
Close Encounters
The Silent Facilitator of Plant Invaders in Northern Chile
In the arid plains of northern Chile, exotic halophytes leverage soil salinity as a weapon to outcompete native plants, setting the stage for an ecological invasion.
Close Encounters
How Native Plants Could Help in the Battle Against Invasive Species in Aquatic Ecosystems
Scientists discover a promising strategy to combat aquatic invasive species using the natural defences of a local plant, Ludwigia peploides.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
How Soybeans Offer Solutions for Nutrient-Stressed Agriculture
Unlocking how soybeans thrive in phosphorus-poor soils could revolutionise our approach to sustainable agriculture.
Computational Models
Machine Learning Unfolds New Insights Into Leaf Traits and Climate
A novel machine learning-based study using digitized herbarium collections provides insights into the relationship between leaf size and climate across different plant species, and demonstrates the benefit of human involvement in training the AI model.
Ecosystems
An invasive plant thrives on the edge of fire
Botanists discover unexpected ways in which controlled fires can influence plant diversity, including the puzzling persistence of certain invasive species.
Computational Models
The Mathematics of How Plants Combat Pollen Scarcity with Self-Pollination
Through innovative eco-evolutionary models, Kuangyi Xu offers fresh insights into how plants could self-rescue in times of pollen scarcity by balancing the benefits and costs of self-fertilization.
Ecosystems
A global fern species needs local solutions for conservation
Researchers explore how climate change and human activity impact the distribution and survival of a unique fern species.
Close Encounters
Coffee Plants Adapt Leaf Traits in Response to Fungal Disease, Study Finds
The study provides valuable insights into plant-pathogen interactions with implications for agriculture, ecology, and climate change resilience.
Growth & Development
Can botanists help keep a vital ally against desertification growing in the desert?
One way to preserve plants suffering from rising temperatures is to relocate them in new areas that have become suitable for them. But when a plant grows in the sands of a harsh desert, you don’t want that habitat to expand.
Ecosystems
Rewilding the Argentine Puna is a Mixed Result for Biodiversity
Rewilding – the practice of reintroducing wild flora and fauna into their natural habitats – is a conservation strategy gaining traction worldwide. Carlos Navarro and colleagues have examined
Close Encounters
What’s the smallest payment you can give to a courier who carries your pollen?
Researchers reveal the delicate balance plants must maintain to maximize their pollen donation to pollinators.