Ant–plant associations are widely diverse and distributed throughout the world, leading to complex ecological networks. Regarding ant–plant mutualism, ant pollination is a very rare interaction and few studies have shown the role of ants as pollinators. Del-Claro et al. aimed to evaluate the role of ants as effective pollinators of Paepalanthus lundii (Eriocaulaceae) in a […]

The inverse correlation between atmospheric CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) and stomatal frequency in many plants has been widely used to estimate palaeo-CO2 levels. However, apparent discrepancies exist among the obtained estimates. Hu et al. attempted to find a potential proxy for palaeo-CO2 concentrations by analysing the stomatal frequency of Quercus glauca (section Cyclobalanopsis, Fagaceae), a […]

Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) is the most widely cultivated forage and amenity grass species in temperate areas worldwide and there is a need to understand the genetic architectures of key agricultural traits and crop characteristics that deliver wider environmental services. Harper et al. aimed to identify genomic regions associated with agriculturally important traits by integrating […]

Reproductive interference can reduce fitness of either of the involved species, and its ecological and evolutionary consequences may depend on its underlying mechanisms.

Botanists find a clear trade-off between fruit size and phytochemical production, helping to explain why our modern varieties are highly susceptible to diseases and pests.

Phytochrome B is a photoreceptor that controls plant plasticity and resource partitioning. Little is known about its impact on maize crops.

The consequences of delayed selfing by reproductive assurance for selection on flower size in mixed-mating species is relevant to understand the evolution of plant breeding systems.

Selection on duplicated plant volatile genes is thought to have enabled the evolution of floral volatiles crucial to plant-insect interactions.

Finding the factors that explain invasion success of species is a major objective in ecology. The combination of extensive data on fruit heteromorphism in Asteraceae and the largest global plant-naturalization database offered the unprecedented possibility to add a missing piece to the naturalization-success puzzle.

Floral chemistry is hypothesized to be the product of natural selection, but researchers have just begun to consider the micro-evolution of these traits.

Do peach trees plan their shoot growth, or do they react to the environment?

Branching is a main morphogenetic process involved in the adaptation of plants to the environment. In grasses, tillering is divided into three phases: tiller emergence, cessation of tillering and tiller regression. Understanding and prediction of the tillering process is a major challenge to better control cereal yields. Lecarpentier et al. present and evaluate WALTer, an […]