Setaria viridis is being promoted as a model C4 photosynthetic plant because it has a small genome (~515Mb), a short life cycle (~60d) and it can be transformed. Unlike other C4 grasses such as maize, however, there is very little information about how C4 leaf anatomy (Kranz anatomy) develops in S. viridis. As a foundation […]

Although Darwin recognised long ago the destructive impact that snails and slugs have on seedlings, we understand remarkably little about why these herbivores select different plants at their most vulnerable stage. Hanley et al. examine the role of volatile compounds in the attractiveness of seedlings of 14 grassland species to snails (Cornu aspersum, Helicidae). Selection […]

Alpine plants growing on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau were thought to senesce or lie dormant during the winter, but after 4 years of field observations, Li et al. show how some species kept growing in this extremely cold and unpredictable environment. One species, Gentiana spathulifolia (Gentianaceae) even flowers in winter and many others were conspicuous […]

While there is increasing recognition of floral mimicry in plants, there are few cases where any explanatory mechanism is confirmed. Scaccabarozzi et al. test for pollination by mimicry in western Australian Diuris orchids, a genus hypothesized to attract pollinators by mimicking a range of sympatric Daviesia species Faboideae. The mimicry in this system was revealed […]

More than 85% of flowering plant species require the services of foraging animal pollinators to transfer male gametes (pollen) to stigmas of potential mates. The vast majority (95-99%) of pollen grains produced by a plant never successfully fertilize ovules, and are instead lost during the complex and chaotic process of pollen transport. For example, some […]

Orchids have minute seeds and can disperse over long distances. Hedrén et al. use genetic markers to track how the marsh orchid Dactylorhiza majalis ssp. lapponica (Orchidaceae) colonised the Baltic Sea island of Gotland repeatedly (and mostly from the east) after the last ice age. These multiple colonization events have resulted in a mosaic pattern of genetic variation, such that adjacent […]

Up to one-quarter of flowering plant species may have escaped recognition due to processes such as autopolyploidy-whole genome duplication events where polyploids may be morphologically identical to their diploid progenitors. Mairal et al. combine macroevolutionary, microevolutionary and niche modelling tools to disentangle the origin and demographic history of the polyploid complex of Aster amellus (Asteraceae). […]

Subtropical African forests are on the verge of extinction due to a long history of exploitation. Considered sanctuaries of exceptional biodiversity, they shelter many endemic and irreplaceable species. Some component plant species remain widely distributed however, and by studying their demographic history, we might understand better the fate of these threatened ecosystems. Mairal et al. […]

In recent years, increasing numbers of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in humans, animals and plants, and several of them have been shown to play important roles in diverse biological processes. However, little work has been performed on the regulation mechanism of lncRNA biogenesis and expression, especially in plants. Compared with studies of […]

The Neotropical savanna fruiting tree species, Hancornia speciosa (Apocynaceae) has high social and economic importance in Brazil. Originally classified as six botanical varieties, more recently only two have been recognised. In a study of the genetic diversity and structure of over 750 individuals from 28 populations Collevatti et al. found five distinct genetic groups, supporting […]

Sexual reproduction requires close proximity of mates, but ensures genetic variation in the local population. Although independent of cross-pollination, asexual reproduction can however, reduce genetic variation in the immediate population and ultimately limit out-crossing, gene flow, and the genetic variability of offspring. Using the dioecious liverwort, Marchantia inflexa (Marchantiaceae), Brzyski et al. quantify how reproductive […]

Growing in flooding environments is a high risk strategy for plants. Izzo et al. show that in order to colonize the margins of the Juruena River, the Amazonian plant Tococa coronata (Melastomataceae) retains morphological characteristics common to juvenile plants until individuals exceed maximum flood level (MFL). Plants growing under the MFL have smaller, thinner and […]