Close Encounters
The weeds that help farmers
A tidy orchard might not be a happy orchard.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
How do you eat a poisonous seed?
Very carefully, or you pay attention to the indigenous people who have been doing it safely for a long time.
Close Encounters
From Hunter to Healer: How the "Deadly Embrace" of a Carnivorous Plant Inspires Skin-Healing Patches
Inspired by the ecology of the Cape sundew, a team of scientists combined 4D printing and Artificial Intelligence to develop a microneedle patch capable of "gripping" the skin, preventing infections, and accelerating wound healing.
The Week in Botany
The Week in Botany October 19, 2026
This week: Purple Gold, purple killers, and Mr Potato Head.
Plant of the Week
*Alluaudiopsis marnieriana*
A plant on the edge of paradise.
Science Shared
Science Shared: October 17
This week: Genetics dominates the most shared papers of the week
Puzzles
Sudoku Garden
Kannamesai festival
Plants & People
From Sacred Crop to Mr Potato Head: What Art Reveals About Our Relationship with Food
By examining how artists portrayed potatoes across cultures and centuries, researchers show how our relationship with one of the world’s most important crops has shifted from reverence and reliance to convenience and comedy.
Ecosystems
Can Small Pellets Help Mosses Rebuild Degraded Soils?
Turning moss fragments into small pellets can aid their establishment, but taking this strategy from the laboratory to the field remains a challenge.
Taxonomy & Evolution
The species that blushed when it was discovered
*Pinguicula brendae* was identified as a new species by its unusual leaves.
Ecosystems
The True Pollinators of the Amazon’s “Purple Gold”
A study reveals that native stingless bees drive pollen flow in açaí crops, highlighting why standing forests are vital to agricultural yields.
The Week in Botany
The Week in Botany October 12, 2026
This week: Fire, Struggles and new African Violets.