annals-of-botany
Responses of legumes to temperature and low phosphorus
Suriyagoda et al. investigate root and shoot responses of three perennial legumes (Cullen cinereum, Kennedia nigricans and Lotus australis) to a range of temperatures at limited
Reviews
Blurring the boundaries between plants and people
The title of Matthew Hall’s 2011 tome, ‘Plants as persons’ may not give that much away (controversial and challenging though it is!). However, its sub-
Uncategorized
Why are U.S. salt marshes falling apart?
Salt marshes have been disintegrating and dying over the past two decades along the U.S. Eastern seaboard and other highly developed coastlines, without anyone fully
Uncategorized
Swings and Roundabouts and Biofuel
The European Commission says clearing land in order to plant biofuel crops can often cancel out the environmental benefits of biofuel. In some cases forests are
annals-of-botany
Rain-splash pollination in a deceptive orchid
Pollination by rain (ombrophily) has been reported for several flowering plants but evidence for this type of abiotic pollination has remained controversial. Fan et al. investigate
Plant Cuttings
Transient VENUS
This year’s transit of Venus reminds me – albeit belatedly – to applaud the hard-working botanists of the Universities of Nottingham (UK), Ghent (Belgium), Leeds (UK)
annals-of-botany
The cost of hosting ants
Hosting ants confers effective protection against herbivores, and swollen, hollow stems functioning as domatia have evolved many times in plants. Blatrix et al. study the allometry
annals-of-botany
Expression of floral MADS-box genes in Sinofranchetia
The second-whorl floral organs of Sinofranchetia chinensis (Lardizabalaceae) are nectar leaves. Hu et al. study the expression patterns of floral MADS-box genes in S.
Plant Cuttings
Lignin and/or suberin? Lignin!
For as long as the Casparian strip (CS) – an impervious component of the endodermal cell wall that blocks the passive flow of water and solutes into
annals-of-botany
Method for transient gene expression in monocots
There are a number of well-developed Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods for dicotyledonous plants, but few for monocotyledonous plants. Fursova et al. develop a new approach
Plant Cuttings
Lichens, thale cress, tobacco, the great survivors…
It is often said that cockroaches are one of the hardiest of animals, allegedly able to withstand a nuclear holocaust. Well, serious contenders amongst the plant-
annals-of-botany
Development of the midrib xylem during leaf expansion
The water-transport capacity of leaf venation is positively related to the leaf-lamina area, because the number and diameter of vein-xylem conduits are properly