Cells, Genes & Molecules
Sweetcorn a better target than other maizes for Zinc biofortification
Earlier consumption and less processing makes sweetcorn a better source of dietary zinc.
Ecosystems
Consider alternative designs and trait integration level for better ecosystem analysis
To fully understand how an ecosystem fits together, consider how alternate designs may achieve the same end.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Lichen algae remodel their cell walls in response to drying
Lichen algae respond to desiccation with both a controlled collapse of their cell walls and a bit of biochemical remodelling.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Anaesthetic blocks trap closure and wounding response in Venus Flytraps
Diethyl ether renders flytraps unable to close their traps or respond to wounding using a mechanism with parallels in animals.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
A diversity of lipid composition in the seeds and fruits of the palm family
Palms are vitally important due to their high vegetable oil production, which can occur in both fruits and seeds. The full range of lipid storage and composition, however, hasn’t been well understood across this large and diverse group.
Close Encounters
Even for specialists, floral morphology is influenced by both pollinators and climate
Climate can indirectly affect floral morphology within a species by affecting what pollinators will visit those flowers across its range.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Resistance to the herbicide 2,4-D is complex in wild radish
Resistance to 2,4-D in wild radish is complex and appears to vary in its mechanism from one population to the next, but new research suggests that lower receptivity at the plasma membrane is part of the answer.
Growth & Development
Palms show huge variation in their resistance to drought-induced embolism
This study represents the first estimate of drought-induced xylem embolism in palms across biomes and provides the first step towards understanding hydraulic adaptations in long-lived arborescent monocots.
Growth & Development
Spine type and resource availability affect when saplings grow their defences
For young woody plants, being eaten by large mammals is a major threat and source of sapling mortality. Some species produce spines as a form of