The Zamiaceae are often considered 'living fossils', but a close study of how they have evolved over millions of years can give a glimpse into the lives of past plants.
Ephemeral seagrasses provide important marine habitats, but are under threat due to human activity. Whitehead et al. develop a new functional-structural environmentally dependant model, in order to integrate existing...
Does "Essentials of Developmental Plant Anatomy" cover the essentials of developmental plant anatomy? Nigel Chaffey looks over the introductory textbook.
Evaluating genetic and environmental effects upon sweet cherry cultivars differing in seasonal duration and fruit size, Gibeau et al. employ photographic measurements to apply a framework of biological time indices...
The recent confirmation of the names of four new chemical elements is a tribute to the creative powers of humankind. It also shows how much we’ve advanced since ancient times, when it was widely believed that all...
Many gymnosperms produce an ovular secretion, the pollination drop, during reproduction. The drops serve as a landing site for pollen, but also contain a suite of ions and organic compounds, including proteins, that...
Plants regulate cellular oxygen partial pressures (pO2), together with reduction/oxidation (redox) state in order to manage rapid developmental transitions such as bud burst after a period of quiescence. However, our...
The development of seedlings involves many morphological, physiological and biochemical processes, which are controlled by many factors. Some reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) are...
How the Earth Turned Green: A brief 3.8-billion-year history of plants Joseph E Armstrong. The University of Chicago Press, 2014. Spoiler alert! This book could seriously change your view of what a textbook can be(!) I...
When concealed by petal spurs, nectar typically is restricted to flower-visiting animals possessing a sufficient tongue length to acquire it, and thus such spurs have evolutionary significance, often leading to...