Blushing flowers

Blushing flowers Some flowers shift colour after pollination. In this way they signal to pollinators here is nothing more to get. Now Chinese and American researches discovered which gene is regulating this in Lotus species. The flowers of Lotus japonicus and Lotus filicaulis are both yellow. Only one of those, L. filicaulis, colours a blushingContinue reading “Blushing flowers”

Bullseye

Bullseye Flowers go all out for getting noticed by pollinators, like accentuating their centre with a different colour. Now Englisch researchers show in Science Advances that this pattern establishes itself early in hibiscus flower development. The dark yellow stamen full with pollen form a stark contrast with the blue-purple spot that forms the middle ofContinue reading “Bullseye”

Flowers that want to be heard

Flowers that want to be heard Nectar-eating bats find their flowers based on echolocation. This works best with flowers that stick out show American and Colombia researchers in the New Phytologist. Bats pollinated flowers have less showy colours, a wide bell forming corella. They smell musty. And the produce lots of pollen. In addition theyContinue reading “Flowers that want to be heard”

From growth to flowering

From growth to flowering During the transition from growth to flowering the growth centre is changing from form and function. Instead of leaves, it now will produce flowers. The team of George Coupland characterised what exactly changes and how the plant is regulating this. Growth centres are the reason that plants can grow new tissuesContinue reading “From growth to flowering”