Cells, Genes & Molecules
New DNA Technique Shows Gene Flow Between Garden and Wild Roses
New DNA screening method detects rare but concerning gene flow from garden roses to wild relatives.
News in Brief
Scientists Find Major Gaps in Open Access to Plant Biodiversity Data
Scientists propose open-access reforms to democratise biodiversity knowledge and mobilise hidden troves of undiscovered plant diversity before it’s too late.
Close Encounters
Underground Web Gives Hope for Healing Broken Ecosystems
Targeted reintroduction of beneficial soil microbes offers a promising way to rebuild damaged plant-soil relationships and restore struggling ecosystems.
Ecosystems
Prescribed prairie burns boost reproduction only in large populations, study finds
Periodic prairie burns are a reproductive riot for large plant populations but a reproductive rut for smaller fragmented groups, reveals a new long-term field experiment.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Plants Feel Touch in Their Veins
New research reveals plant leaf veins act as autonomous touch sensors, firing off rapid electrical signals when mechanically stimulated.
News in Brief
World’s Largest Flowers at Risk of Extinction, Scientists Warn
The iconic giant Rafflesia flowers are disappearing at an alarming rate, according to new research published in Plants, People, Planet.
News in Brief
Bringing Botany Back to Cities
Getting reacquainted with nature could be as easy as a walk in your local park, thanks to a new concept for creating informal botanical gardens throughout cities.
Ecosystems
Scientists Investigate What Makes Urban Gardens Buzz With Bees
If you want your urban garden to be buzzing with bees, scientists say floral evenness is crucial – mix up your blooms instead of planting just a few dominant species.
Ecosystems
Scientists Find Close Relatives Drive Island Plants Extinct
A new study finds native island plants are more likely to go extinct when threatened by invasive cousins from the same family tree.
News in Brief
Phylogenetics Reveals the Importance of Biodiversity to Food Plants in Mexico
Tracing the phylogenetic patterns in native edible plants of Mexico shows how indigenous cultures have sustainably utilized regional botanical diversity for millennia.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Scientists Gene Edit Venus Flytraps to Study Prey Detection
Scientists wield CRISPR to gene hack Venus flytraps, revealing trigger hair genes assist but don’t solely account for these crafty carnivores’ snapping traps.
Close Encounters
It’s Not Just Honeybees That Are Pollination Heroes
Abundant flies like Eristalis and wild bumblebees join domesticated honeybees as bugs for essential strawberry pollination, according to a new study tracking pollen transport.