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.
Computational Models
The comparative adaptation to water-limitation of sorghum and maize
A new study unravels why maize has higher yields and sorghum is more drought tolerant using a cropping systems modeling platform.
Close Encounters
Do flowers produce scent when they’re not expecting visitors?
The study demonstrates extensive variation in floral scent among populations of a geographically widespread species, Arabis alpina.
Ecosystems
Introducing a new AoBP section, Natural History and Conservation
The new section of the open-access non-profit journal AoBP will focus on revealing unknown ecological, genetic and evolutionary aspects of land plants.
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.
Close Encounters
A carnivorous plant that feeds its pollinators
Edible floral trichomes discovered in bee-pollinated Pinguicula species show carnivorous plants can feed insects as well as feed on insects.
Taxonomy & Evolution
New Equisetum phylogeny provides insight into an ancient lineage
The first divergences among horsetail species occurred with the break-up of Pangaea.
Growth & Development
Identifying QTLs for dynamic photosynthesis in barley
How do photosynthetic responses to fluctuating light vary across populations of crop plants and are these genetically controlled?
Taxonomy & Evolution
“Mythical” Jurassic angiosperms perhaps not so mythical
Modelling that accounts for an incomplete fossil record doesn’t reject a pre-Cretaceous origin.
Computational Models
Reducing sorghum water stress during drought
A new study uses drought patterns, sowing date, and genotype phenology to reduce sorghum water stress during critical stages.
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.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
VfODB, a comprehensive database for faba bean improvement
Presenting a new open-access genomic database for marker assisted breeding of Vicia faba.