Growth & Development What traits govern root sprouting in temperate herbs? The ability is most common in dry, open habitats, and most vigorous where disturbance is frequent. Erin Zimmerman 03 Mar 2021
Cells, Genes & Molecules Horizontal gene transfer found between moss plastids The transfer may have been triggered by the large-scale liming of acidic mires. Erin Zimmerman 01 Mar 2021
Growth & Development Hakea drought resistance determined by climate factors rather than functional traits Cavitation resistance appears to be genetic, making it useful as a predictor of drought resistance. Erin Zimmerman 27 Feb 2021
Growth & Development Local adaptation of invasive species occurs in clonal plants too In transplant experiments, closely-related sexual and asexual species both showed evidence of local adaptation. Erin Zimmerman 24 Feb 2021
Taxonomy & Evolution New Equisetum phylogeny provides insight into an ancient lineage The first divergences among horsetail species occurred with the break-up of Pangaea. Erin Zimmerman 23 Feb 2021
Taxonomy & Evolution “Mythical” Jurassic angiosperms perhaps not so mythical Modelling that accounts for an incomplete fossil record doesn’t reject a pre-Cretaceous origin. Erin Zimmerman 22 Feb 2021
Plants & People A new spin on Darwin’s “abominable mystery” Darwin may indeed not have been referring to angiosperms broadly in his famous words to his friend. Erin Zimmerman 19 Feb 2021
Growth & Development Colder temperatures better for long-term maize seed storage Seeds were found to vary from one accession to the next in their cold storage longevity. Erin Zimmerman 18 Feb 2021
Plants & People Historical trends in herbarium specimens could cause misleading observations Extra care should be taken to avoid misinterpretation of data when looking at centuries-spanning specimens. Erin Zimmerman 17 Feb 2021
Taxonomy & Evolution Leaf composites better than single leaves at capturing species differences Accurate species prediction depended on adequate sampling and straightforward genetic background. Erin Zimmerman 16 Feb 2021