Cells, Genes & Molecules
The Genetics Behind Evolution
A recent issue of Annals of Botany highlights seven papers on the genetic basis of plant evolution and speciation.
Growth & Development
Germination stimulation by smoke but not by a butenolide
Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae) is a fire ephemeral with an obligate requirement for smoke to germinate. Downes et al. (pp. 381–384) find that this species does
Growth & Development
Leaf functional traits of invasive and native woody vines
Success of invasive plant species is thought to be linked with their higher leaf carbon fixation strategy. Osunkoya et al. (pp. 371–380) show that there
Growth & Development
Effects of defoliation on a monoecious plant
Monoecy is a relatively flexible sexual system that can be advantageous against environmental stresses such as leaf herbivory. Narbona and Dirzo (pp. 359–369) examine the
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Sense and sensibility to sex and sustainability
Two-thirds of the energy in the food we eat comes from seeds – including wheat, rice, maize, oilseeds – and their associated storage structures as fruits. Without
Taxonomy & Evolution
Phylogeography and acquisition of dioecy in Malvaceae
In the Mascarenes, a young oceanic archipelago, the Dombeyoideae have extensively diversified and have evolved specific breeding systems compared to the continental species. By constructing a
Growth & Development
Hydraulic connections in leaves and fruit of pepper
Are there similarities in changes in xylem functionality between maturing fruit and abscising leaves? Trifilò et al. (pp. 333–341) make simultaneous hydraulic measurements on leaves
Growth & Development
Style polymorphism in Nivenia (Iridaceae)
Heterostyly is widely distributed among the angiosperms, but detailed studies are limited to few taxonomic groups. Sánchez et al. (pp. 321–331) ascertain the presence of
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Windows of opportunity in embryo development
Variation in mature seed size is the result of a complex array of interactions involving genes, genomes and environment that may change during development. Diggle et
Growth & Development
Growth–differentiation balance in stressed juvenile plants
The growth–differentiation balance hypothesis states that there is a physiological trade-off between growth and secondary metabolism. Cella Pizarro and Bisigato (pp. 297–307) investigate
Plants & People
The waste of what we do?
Botanists can improve the plants that get harvested, but can they also improve what comes after?
Plants & People
Great Escapes – continued
There is another way to think of plant escapes: when I lived at Kew, there was a story about ‘bid for freedom of plants from Kew’