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”

Nighttime chills

Dampening the effects of nighttime chills Plants respond strongly to cold during the day. While night time chilling only gets a mild response. Now researchers from the University of Galsgow show in the New Phytologist how alternative splicing of REVEILLE2 dampens the effect of nighttime chill. The circadian clock regulates many aspects of a plantContinue reading “Nighttime chills”

Warning plants

Plants warning you for dangerous substances What if a plant can tell you that there are dangerous chemicals in the water or the ground? Not by dying but through simply changing its appearance. Now researchers from University of California – Riverside report in Nature Chemical Biology to have done just that. Organisms are full ofContinue reading “Warning plants”