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.
Stomatal anatomy integrates Rubisco kinetics and leaf size in Limonium species, consistent with selection on functional coordination and shared developmental pathways.
By the year 2100, atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]a) could reach 800 ppm, having risen from ~200 ppm since the Neogene, beginning ~24 Myr ago. Changing [CO2]a affects plant carbonβwater balance, with implications...
Photosynthesis needs water. Guest blogger Maria Papanatsiou has a new way of increasing water efficiency in plants, enabling them to do more with less.
Tropical understory communities are highly diverse, and plants in these environments must optimize functional traits to ensure ecological and evolutionary success. Campany et al. survey the ecophysiology of two spore...
Guard cell walls are built to resist bending and deformation to open and close the pore. Pectins provide flexibility and resilience to walls; in particular arabinans and unesterified homo-galacturonans are required for...
Night-time transpiration accounts for a considerable amount of water loss in crop plants, yet its biological function, regulation and response to salt stress are poorly understood. Even et al. present data on barley...
Studies have indicated that plant stomatal conductance (gs) decreases in response to elevated atmospheric CO2, a phenomenon of significance for the global hydrological cycle. However, gs increases across certain CO2...
Stomata are pores regulating gas exchange in land plants. Stomatal morphology has remained largely consistent through βΌ400 million years of plant evolution, though cell wall composition has changed. Shtein et al...