Plants

  1. Plants

    Salty sweat helps one desert plant stay hydrated

    The Athel tamarisk excretes excess salt through its leaves. The buildup of salt crystals pulls water directly from the air, a study reports.

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  2. Plants

    Berkley Walker wants to revamp photosynthesis for a changing climate

    Finding ways to make plants work better could help feed a growing population, especially as the planet warms.

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  3. Genetics

    These 8 GMOs tell a brief history of genetic modification

    Since the first genetically modified organism 50 years ago, GMOs have brought us disease-resistant crops, new drugs and more.

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  4. Plants

    The first citrus fruits may have come from southern China

    An in-depth look at the orange family tree shows the oldest Citrus ancestors arrived in Asia on the Indian tectonic plate over 25 million years ago.

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  5. Plants

    The fastest-evolving moss in the world may not adapt to climate change

    The genus Takakia has the largest number of fast-evolving genes of any moss, a study finds. But it’s losing ground in the warming Himalayas.

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  6. Life

    Flowers pollinated by honeybees make lower-quality seeds

    Honeybees are one of the most common pollinators. But their flower-visiting habits make it harder for some plants to produce good seeds.

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  7. Ecosystems

    Marjorie Weber explores plant-protecting ants and other wonders of evolution

    Cooperation across the tree of life is an understudied driver of evolution and biodiversity, Marjorie Weber says.

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  8. Life

    Air pollution monitoring may accidentally help scientists track biodiversity

    Filters in air monitoring facilities inadvertently capture environmental DNA, which could give scientists a new tool to track local plants and animals.

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  9. Plants

    A hunt for fungi might bring this orchid back from the brink

    Identifying the fungi that feeds the Cooper’s black orchid in the lab may allow researchers to bank seeds and possibly regrow the species in the wild.

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  10. Plants

    Soil microbes that survived tough climates can help young trees do the same

    Trees grown in soil with microbes that have survived drought and high or low temperatures have a better shot at survival when facing the same conditions.

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  11. Plants

    Ultrasound reveals trees’ drought-survival secrets

    Scientists used ultrasound sensors and electrical probes to reveal how drought affects the tissues of living trees.

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  12. Plants

    Stressed plants make ultrasonic clicking noises

    Tomato and tobacco plants emit high frequency sounds, which could one day find a use in agriculture, as a way to detect thirsty crops.

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