Taxonomy & Evolution
“Our findings show how a hybridization event between species can spark the evolution of new traits, allowing even more species to emerge. We’ve finally solved the mystery of where potatoes came from.” – Sanwen Huang
Ecosystems
Dykes are a lifeline for bees. Researchers found nearly half of all Dutch bee species live on river dykes, with 10% being endangered red-listed species.
News in Brief
Scientists cracked how plants reproduce without sex. The finding could improve crops and on Earth and beyond. But the key to this discovery comes from a plant that annoys many gardeners.
Growth & Development
High-speed cameras capture squirting cucumbers shooting seeds at 29 mph across 12-meter distances using perfectly angled, pressurised fruit explosions.
Plants & People
The Emperor Caligula wasn’t just interested in plants as poisons, he also knew of their healing properties. It seems that he just preferred the poison side of pharmacology.
Ecosystems
Scientists analysing 2,000 herbarium specimens discovered jewelflowers survive new climates not by evolving, but by engineering their own familiar microenvironments
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The sweet molecules plants make during photosynthesis double as sophisticated thermometers, revealing a hidden layer of plant environmental sensing.
Plants & People
Polish researchers discovered the secret to thriving urban gardens isn’t green thumbs or good soil, it’s the social networks gardeners build together.
Ecosystems
Researchers discovered that tiny temperature differences within single farm fields can be more important than entire landscapes for bee foraging success.
Plants & People
Isotope analysis reveals agricultural transition in the Andes was marked by remarkable stability, not the crisis archaeologists long assumed drove farming elsewhere.
Ecosystems
Las Vegas trees create 17°C shade oases but can’t cool city air like temperate climates due to desert adaptations that limit transpiration.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The genes that help plants draw in carbon dioxide also help plants kick out poisons when herbivores visit.