Many grasses host symbiotic fungi, Epichloë spp. These fungi can help grasses tolerate herbivory, or help repel herbivores. But how do these fungi pass between plant hosts? They could be passed horizontally between...
Plants sometimes specialise. Catering for a specific partner can ensure a reliable source of food or pollination. At the same time, relying on that partner limits your adaptability. A new study by Guo and colleagues, A...
It's said all plants are holobionts. If that's true why bother creating a new word? What value does the word holobiont bring that plant doesn't already have?
Polyploidy alters plant genomes, phenotypes, and abiotic interactions. The effects of polyploidy on plant-biotic interactions however are less well known. One important plant-biotic interaction is the legume-rhizobia...
An investigation on a tiny island reveals that microscopic fungi can dictate the destiny of giants, opening the possibility of mycorrhizal-driven speciation.
Climate change has limited the availability of water for irrigating crops throughout many regions of the world. Indeed, current models of climate change predict that arid and semi-arid zones will be places where...
Mutualisms can play important roles in influencing species coexistence and determining community composition. However, few studies have tested whether mutualisms may affect species distributions by altering the niches...
Plants require nitrogen to make proteins, nucleic acids and other biological molecules. It is widely accepted that plants absorb inorganic forms of nitrogen to fill their needs. However, recently it has become clear...
A study shows coral polyps actively generate micro-currents and eddies to promote nutrient inflow and exchange of materials using externally located cilia.