Cells, Genes & Molecules
The reason domesticated lentils are fussy about their lighting is in their genes
A comparison with wild lentils highlights how gene expression varies when light shifts from red to near infra-red light.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Plants can become less uniform by duplicating their genome
Though the experiment was limited to two genotypes of a single species, these findings support the idea that whole genome duplication can indeed increase plasticity.
Close Encounters
Take away the deer and more subtle effects on plant communities become apparent
A twenty-year survey in western Canada shows how deer can obscure other ecological effects in forests.
Taxonomy & Evolution
Estimates of leaf size set to get closer to reality
A one-size-fits-all estimate of leaf area has drawbacks if not all your leaves are the same shape.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The broken remains of pectin give clues to the culprit
By tracking how cell walls were loosened, a team has been able to show which enzyme is helping fruit ripen.
Ecosystems
Carnivorous plants have evolved to hunt in packs
Some sundews are hungry like the wolf
Growth & Development
When the wind blows, what happens to wheat?
A reduction in height but an increase in tillers suggests that wheat may benefit from a little mechanical stress.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Carex angustisquama‘s extreme life style keeps it a distinct species
It’s the hostile habitat that keeps these Carex plants together as a species.
Ecosystems
Microclimates in herb patches can provide refuges for overheating insects
Research shows that patches of flowering plants can provide crucial shade during heatwaves, even in surprisingly small patches.
Taxonomy & Evolution
Studying plant remains at the entrance and the exit of a chimpanzee
A chimp’s diet can be studied through microscopic opals.
Ecosystems
Hedgerows act as wildlife corridors for the wildlife that cannot walk
Hedgerows may provide habitat for forest plants to colonise to travel in Europe’s patchwork woodland.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Botanists find the molecular difference between edible pacaya and the wild palms
Pacaya palm (Chamaedorea tepejilote) is a plant eaten in Guatemala and Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras. It’s cultivated, but not intensively. Hanene Hosni and colleagues