Population structure and genetic diversity of plant invasions are the result of evolutionary processes such as natural selection, drift and founding events. Some invasions are also molded by specific human activities...
Name: Palmer amaranth Scientific name: Amaranthus palmeri Known for: Destroyer of crop yields Record broken: Weed of the Year two years running (2014-2015) Palmer amaranth, also known as Palmer’s pigweed, is a fast...
A new biogeographic study published in AoB PLANTS by Shelby et al. tested the evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis—a compelling explanation for why plants become invasive. The authors measured...
A weed or not a weed? Many plant species grow somewhere on the continuum from undisturbed to very disturbed vegetation. Deciding on the degree of weediness is not an easy task, and is often based only on subjective...
Time from seed dispersal to germination and time from germination to flowering are two key life history traits that determine fitness and coexistence of weeds in arable fields. Toorop et al. characterize these two...