Growth & Development
Woodiness only indirectly responsible for embolism resistance in Arabidopsis
Its correlation with intervessel pit membrane thickness provides the missing functional link.
Close Encounters
Floral chemistry reveals the basis of an orchid pollinator shift
A greater concentration of a compound present throughout the species allowed one morph to attract bee pollinators.
Taxonomy & Evolution
A new assessment of Madagascar’s Coffea species shows which traits reflect phylogenetic signal
Flowering phenology appears to have a strong genetic component, and may serve as a barrier to hybridization
Taxonomy & Evolution
Flowering plants spelled the end of gymnosperm dominance
Coupled with the negative effects of global cooling, angiosperms pushed gymnosperm extinction past the point of recovery.
Close Encounters
Invasive plants can homogenize soil pathogens
The decreased number of pathogen species appears to benefit the invaders.
Close Encounters
Cockroaches the main pollinator of a rare Chinese flower
The phenomenon, though rare, may be ancient.
Ecosystems
As a keystone clade, Miconia species support a huge variety of frugivores
Different species fruit sequentially, offering a year-round food resource.
Close Encounters
Even in juvenile stages, mistletoe can adjust its physiology according to its host
Impact on the tree varied depending on whether it was deciduous or evergreen
Close Encounters
Asymmetry allows divergent use of pollinators, but often represents a one-way evolutionary street
Changes in floral symmetry allow a single pollinator to be used differently by multiple species.
Close Encounters
Within a mixed species, annuals self-pollinate more than perennials
A smaller stigma-anther separation in annuals seems to indicate a genetic basis for mating system differences.
Plants & People
State of the World’s Plant & Fungi Collections (Part Two)
Expanding the uses, the user-base, and the number of collections themselves will help safeguard the future of plant and fungal collections.
Growth & Development
Root hairs offer benefit during drought without decreasing yield in good years
This makes them an ideal target for breeders looking to up resilience without bringing down productivity.