When it comes to attracting pollinators, Saururus chinensis is a bit of a chameleon. By turning some of its leaves white, it can attract more visitors. But why don’t the leaves stay white?
Ophrys sphegodes, the early spider-orchid, is a plant with a very short pollination window. The changing climate is closing that window more and more often as the planet warms.
It’s easy to see how herbivory could lead to defences in plants, but what happens when the attackers start using those expensive defences for their own benefit?
A new paper in PLOS One says trees outside your house can act as sentinels tracking the concentrations of potentially hazardous chemicals in your home’s air.