The conical epidermal cells found on the petals of most Angiosperm species are so widespread that they have been used as markers of petal identity, but their function has only been analysed in recent years. Whitney et al. review the data on the roles of these cells in attracting pollinators and determine that conical cells influence flower colour, temperature, wettability and tactile properties, and so are likely to have different primary functions according to pollinator and habitat.
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Plants have evolved the ability to germinate in salty soils multiple times, in a case of convergent evolution
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Fossils of Eocene palm trees near the Arctic Circle reveal a heated past
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Longer cones and a clockwise spiral lead to tighter seed packing in a Jurassic conifer
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