‘Water balloons’ uncovered The leaves of quinoa and ice plants are covered with fine hairs. Long was believed that these hairs help plants coping during water shortage and salt stress. But now Danish researchers show in Current Biology that this is not true: they protect against herbivory insects. Quinoa and ice plants are salt tolerantContinue reading “‘Water balloons’ uncovered”
Category Archives: Science
Enlarging the throughfare
Enlarging the throughfare Plant cells are surrounded by cell walls. To stay in contact with their neighbours they have those tunnel like structures, called plasmodesmata. Through these tunnels small molecules can travel from cell to cell. But pathogens also use these throughfares. Now English researchers show that pathogens enlarge these tunnels in a still unknownContinue reading “Enlarging the throughfare”
Sweet duplication
Sweet duplication Some flowers have a specific hollow outgrowth wherein they store their nectar, a so called nectar spur. How these evolved is often a mystery. Now Colombian researchers show in the journal Annals of Botany that it might be the result of a gene duplication. Flowers of Tropaeolum longifolium can only be divided inContinue reading “Sweet duplication”
Water capturing salt crystals
Water capturing salt crystals Plants and animals that live in dry or salty environments often have ingenious ways for catching water. Like for example the athel tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla), a scrub that is growing in salty marshes. Now researchers report in PNAS how this scrub is cleverly using its salty environment to capture water. TheContinue reading “Water capturing salt crystals”
Plant en Zo 