Taxonomy & Evolution
Lessons from magnolias about past climatic events and plant evolution
Chinese scientists used data from Magnolia plastid genomes to peer back millions of years to understand Cenozoic climatic changes.
Plants & People
Research from Germany discovers why your pollen allergies might be getting worse
It’s not just the quantity of pollen that’s a problem. It can also be the diversity – and that isn’t helped by invasive species.
Close Encounters
Toxomerus basalis: The fly that uses a killer as a babysitter
Sundews are carnivorous plants that feed on small naive insects. So why does a fly deliberately lay its eggs on the plant?
Reviews
How green is my planet?
Stunning images, like the TV programme, incredible facts, like the TV programme and the same referencing as the TV programme.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Modular models allow users to focus on biology rather than programming
Presenting BioCro II: an updated software package for modular crop growth simulations.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Why don’t plants need sunscreen?
Plants have no opportunity to get out of the sun into the shade, so how do they avoid damage by UV-B light? The answer lies in the cuticle, the outermost layer of a plant.
Growth & Development
There’s more to tree spines than first thought
Analysis of 31 tropical woody species with spines on their trunk has uncovered new explanations for the presence of spines on trees.
Growth & Development
A new wearable technology — for plants
In the future, some plants may wear monitors to keep track of water loss.
Ecosystems
Spring is coming a week earlier to European forests
Botanists found evidence for the effects of climate change stored in herbaria.
Growth & Development
You can protect blueberries from cold with some help from the Antarctic
Botanists have found a bodyguard that can protect blueberry plants from cold or drought shocks – but instead of protecting the outside of the plant, it lives inside it.
Ecosystems
What is it that makes some plants rare?
What’s behind the patterns of plant distribution, and are there any common features of rare plants? A team of botanists has been reviewing articles to find out.
Growth & Development
Botanists uncover the cost of cloning
If a plant wants to produce a clone of itself, then it’s usually best to keep the new shoots close.