Can we use electron microscopy and statistical analyses to better classify the trichomes of the large plant genus Solanum?
Tag - Morphology
William Salter
Botanists explore how mint makes a home for ants and mites
Domatia in a member of the mint family are caused by cell proliferation, not leaf rolling
Erin Zimmerman
The morphometrics of autopolyploidy: insignificant differentiation among sexual–apomictic cytotypes
Polyploidization of the plant genome affects the phenotype of individuals including their morphology. In autopolyploids, we expect mainly nucleotypic effects, from a number of monoploid genomes (i.e. chromosome sets) or...
When does Acacia koa know it’s time to grow up?
Sometimes the best strategy for a young plant is not the same as the best strategy for an old plant. Some heteroblastic plants can switch how they grow but what triggers this?
Alun Salt
Thermal Ecology to become a hot topic
We might think of flowers in terms of their colour and scent, but what about their temperature? A new review in Annals of Botany looks at the thermal ecology of flowers. In the paper Casper van der Kooi and colleagues...
Modelling leaf growth in Garlic
A new crop model highlights the importance of storage conditions for garlic growth.
Cross-disciplinary research needed to unleash the potential of plant morphology
There were many great articles concerning cross-disciplinary research at the interface between plant biology, mathematics and computer science before the launch in silico Plants (isP). We are excited for isP to be home...
Rachel Shekar
RAD-seq and morphology clarify evolutionary relationships in Eurasian bee orchids
Eurasian bee orchids (Ophrys, Orchidaceae) have become the most popular model system for studying reproduction via insect-mediated pseudo-copulation and for exploring the consequent, putatively adaptive, evolutionary...
botanyone
The evolution and ecology of plant architecture
Ecological factors affect the distribution of plant architectural diversity and shape its evolution, and future work integrating phylogenetically informed architectural data with ecological variables will continue to...
Sex-specific morphology and physiology in Ceratodon purpureus
Separate sexes and biased sex ratios are common in bryophytes, yet little is known about how fine-scale, sex-specific morphological traits are correlated with physiology and population sex-ratios. Slate et al. analysed...
Stolon-tuber system and phylogeny of orchid-like bladderworts (Lentibulariaceae)
This study provides strong evidence, based on DNA sequences from two genomic compartments (plastid and nucleus) and morphology to group the Utricularia sect. Orchidioides into the sect. Iperua.
Morphology, phylogeny and adaptation
The study of plant evolution and development in a phylogenetic context has accelerated research advances in both areas over the last decade. The addition of a robust phylogeny for virtually all plant taxa based on DNA...
Whole-plant reconstruction of an early Devonian lycophyte
Plants of the Early Devonian epoch (419-323 million years ago) are crucial to reconstructing the initial radiation of tracheophytes, yet few are understood as whole organisms. Unearthing the habits of Sengelia radicans...
Origin of the bifurcating style in Asteraceae
One of the most remarkable reproductive structures of the members of the plant family Asteraceae is the style. Katinas et al. examine the morphology and distribution of lipophilic compounds of the styles in the early...
