annals-of-botany
Morphological and physiological traits determine Arundo drought recovery
Arundo donax often reproduces clonally, but a new study finds small differences can affect how it recovers from drought stress.
annals-of-botany
Miscanthus response to combinations of salinity and drought
As mentioned a couple of days ago, there’s a big push to try growing biofuels on marginal land. “Since irrigation of biomass crops is unlikely
AoB PLANTS
Exploring the salt tolerance of the Nona Bokra rice landrace
Salt stress is a major limiting factor for crop production across the world. Rice is particularly sensitive to salinity, with both plant growth and grain yield
annals-of-botany
Biofuels grow better when willows weep less
A challenge for biofuels is water use. A successful biofuel strategy will have water-efficient plants.
News in Brief
What happens when a vampire plant ‘bites’ two victims at once?
When the parasitic plant dodder attacks two plants, stress felt by one victim can be passed to the other.
News in Brief
Poisoned soils could be healed with the right kind of cress
Buck Rogers found the land around New Chicago in the 25th century was polluted and barren. But pollution might not be a long-term problem if you have the right Brassica.
annals-of-botany
Where do all the Epipactis orchids come from?
Botanists use the orchid genus Epipactis as a model for speciation, but unravelling its family tree has been difficult.
AoB PLANTS
Unravelling the genetic makeup of hybrid meadow knapweed populations in North America
Hybridization is thought to be a primary trigger of plant invasions, due to short term hybrid vigour of early generations or increased evolutionary potential in later
News in Brief
Microplastic infill for artificial turfs harms grassland species
We’re used to microplastics being an environmental hazard in the oceans, but research confirms it can be a problem on land too.
annals-of-botany
The rare lichen Pectenia plumbea requires a matchmaker to bring its fungus and alga together
A lichen is not one organism, but a community of at least two. If that’s the case, how does the lichen as a whole reproduce?
News in Brief
A school curriculum could make New York City seem less grey and more green
Far from being an oxymoron, an educational intervention shows that urban botany can have tremendous value.
News in Brief
Invasive plants’ success may start with invasive pollen
To pollinate you need the right pollen, but what happens when you arrive in new territory everyone you share pollinators with has the wrong pollen?