annals-of-botany
Cretaceous flowers of Ericales
The rapid increase in knowledge of the fossil record of angiosperms in the past 30 years has provided important evidence on the antiquity of different lineages.
annals-of-botany
Epigenetic regulation gives diversity in triploid bananas
The production of triploid banana and plantain (Musa spp.) cultivars with improved characteristics remains a major challenge for plant breeders. Hippolyte et al. examine 561 accessions
annals-of-botany
Gene flow, drift and populations of Sardinian Aquilegia
The Mediterranean Basin is an important region for plant biodiversity, but there are relatively few studies of fine-scale genetic variation. Garrido et al. assess the
annals-of-botany
Virus-induced gene silencing and evo-devo studies in Cysticapnos
Gene silencing studies are increasingly being used to unravel the role of developmental genes. Hidalgo et al. report the establishment of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS)
annals-of-botany
Pathways of water flow in mycorrhizal plants
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis regulates root hydraulic properties, but it is not clear whether this involves the cell-to-cell or the apoplastic pathway. Bárzana et
annals-of-botany
Trampling, defoliation and physiological integration
Clonal plants are a common feature of heavily grazed ecosystems where large herbivores inflict simultaneous pressures of trampling and defoliation. Xu et al. examine the effects
annals-of-botany
Heterogeneous growth of Arabidopsis leaf epidermis
The epidermis of an expanding dicot leaf is a mosaic of cells differing in identity, size and differentiation stage. Elsner et al. study leaves of Arabidopsis
annals-of-botany
Functional biogenic calcium oxalate crystals in Acacia
Formation of calcium oxalate crystals is common in the plant kingdom, but biogenic formation of calcium sulfate crystals in plants is rare. By means of microscopy,
annals-of-botany
Mineral nutrient stoichiometry of Hedera seeds
Analysis of variability in mineral allocation to seeds has rarely been considered in relation to allometric patterns and deviations from the allometric trajectory. Obeso examines the
annals-of-botany
Floral traits mediate the pollination role of bees
Pollen-collecting bees are the most important pollinators globally, but are also the most common pollen thieves and can significantly reduce plant reproduction. Hargreaves et al.
annals-of-botany
QTLs for seed yield under different P supply
Low levels of phosphorous in soils seriously limit seed production of Brassica napus. Ding et al. investigate phenotypic variation of seed yield and yield-related traits
annals-of-botany
Acidic alpha-galactosidase in tobacco floral nectar
Most floral nectar proteins (nectarins) are reported to function in nectar defence, particularly for insect-pollinated outcrossing species. Zha et al. compare nectarin composition in selfing