Where does the shape of the Romanesco cauliflower come from?
Researchers discovered Romanescos are buds that never reach flowering state, resulting in stems producing new buds rapidly, creating pyramidal appearance and fractal structure.
Flowers
Articles tagged with Flowers
Good food in a nice setting: wild bees need diverse agricultural landscapes
A study by the University of Göttingen found that diverse agricultural landscapes increase the species richness of wild bees. Different mass-flowering crops like rapeseed and faba beans support different wild bee species due to varying flower shapes.
The humidity of flowers acts as an invisible attractor for bumblebees
Researchers discovered that bumblebees can accurately detect and choose between flowers with varying levels of humidity. The study found that bees learn to distinguish between humidity patterns in a similar way to how they recognize colors or scents.
Botany: Scent of death attracts coffin flies to pipevine flowers
Researchers discovered a sophisticated deception mechanism in Aristolochia microstoma flowers, emitting foul scents similar to rotting arthropods. The deception attracts phorid flies for pollination, with the flies trapped inside before depositing pollen.
First-of-its-kind flower smells like dead insects to imprison 'coffin flies'
A new plant species has been found to deceive pollinators by emitting a scent that mimics decomposing insects. The flower of Aristolochia microstoma traps 'coffin flies' in its chamber, allowing them to deposit pollen before escaping unharmed.
Flowery diets help predatory insects help farmers keep pests in check
Research finds that flowers provide essential nectar and pollen for predatory insects, helping them survive up to 8 times longer. This can significantly reduce the need for agricultural pesticides, improving crop production while supporting biodiversity.
Study of flowers with two types of anthers solves mystery that baffled Darwin
A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals how flowers with two distinct sets of anthers gradually present their pollen to bees over multiple visits. This 'pollen dosing' strategy allows flowers to limit the amount of pollen a bee can remove, maximizing pollination efficiency.
New flower from 100 million years ago brings fresh holiday beauty to 2020
Researchers at Oregon State University have identified a new genus and species of flower from the mid-Cretaceous period, found in 100 million-year-old Burmese amber. The tiny male flower has unique details, including spiral-shaped stamens and an egg-shaped floral cup.
SourceOregon State University·JournalJournal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas·DateDec 21, 2020
Future of digital ag could use robots to optimize apple yields, boost profits
A Cornell-led team is using robots with computer vision to optimize apple yields by controlling fruit numbers per tree. This can increase total crop values by $7,000 per acre, helping growers meet market demand for fruit size and quality.
The ur-Iris likely had purple flowers, pollinated by insects for nectar
The genus Iris, comprising over 300 species, has a poor fossil record, but researchers created a phylogeny to study evolutionary divergence. They found the last common ancestor of irises probably had purple flowers with a crest and spot on falls, pollinated by insects for nectar.
Dueling proteins give shape to plants
In a new study, researchers have identified the molecular mechanism behind two key proteins that influence plant form and timing of developmental transitions. The study reveals an antagonistic relationship between Terminal Flower 1 (TLF1) and Flowering Locus T (FT) proteins, which promote branch formation and flowering, respectively.
Yellow pond-lily prefers cyclic flowers to spiral ones
Researchers discovered that yellow pond-lily (Nuphar lutea) exhibits a cyclic flower structure, with sepals forming two whorls and petals in a single whorl. This finding provides valuable information about the evolutionary history of angiosperms and their first flowers.
SourceNational Research University Higher School of Economics·JournalFrontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology·DateJul 6, 2020
Chronobiology: Researchers identify genes that tell plants when to flower
Two genes, ELF3 and GI, control a plant's internal clock, regulating the timing of flowering in response to daylight. The study provides insights into how plants anticipate environmental changes and breed better-adapted varieties.
Soap bubbles pollinated a pear orchard without damaging delicate flowers
Researchers at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology found that soap bubbles can deliver pollen grains to targeted flowers, facilitating effective pollination. The technique outperformed other methods in terms of precision and quality, but requires further improvement for large-scale application.
When plant pollen scarce, bumblebees biting leaves causes flowers to bloom early
A new study reveals that bumblebees bite leaves of flowerless plants to accelerate flowering, causing blooms to occur two weeks to a month earlier. This behavior suggests that bumblebees can manipulate plant flowering through deliberate damage, providing pollination systems with more plasticity and resilience to climate change.
Clemson scientist explores the colorful intricacies of pollen
Research suggests that plant species maintain both light and dark pollen due to distinct survival advantages. Lighter morphs have higher seed production ability, while darker morphs produce higher-quality pollen with increased anthocyanidin production, which helps relieve heat stress.
Some flowers have learned to bounce back after injury
Bilaterally symmetrical flowers can restore their 'correct' orientation by moving individual flower stems or even the stalk that supports a cluster of flowers. This ability helps them attract pollinators and produce seeds. In contrast, radially symmetrical flowers lack this ability and rarely recover after an injury.
Self-actuating pollen-based paper
Researchers created pollen-based paper with responsive properties to humidity, allowing fine-tuning of responsiveness through variations in thickness and surface roughness. The material absorbs moisture, curls, and resumes its shape, demonstrating self-actuation and environmental sensitivity.
SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 6, 2020
Many buds to a blossom: A synchronization approach to sensing using many oscillators
Researchers propose a new method for measuring large areas by synchronizing chaotic oscillators, enabling accurate and robust measurements without requiring individual sensor interrogation. The approach allows for spatial averaging and harvesting information from nodes through gentle stimulation with an exciter signal.
Prairie plants need fiery romance
Researchers found that prescribed fires are critical for successful reproduction in prairie plants, causing synchronized flowering which increases mating opportunities and seed production. The study observed the sex lives of individual plants for 21 years and found nearly doubled annual seed production after a prescribed burn.
SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 27, 2020
Vomiting bumblebees show that sweeter is not necessarily better
A new study using bumblebees found that the sweetest nectar is not always the best; too much sugar slows them down. The researchers discovered that bees prefer nectars with lower sugar concentrations, which are easier to drink and vomit back up.
When flowers reached Australia
New research reveals that Australia's oldest flowering plants are 126 million years old and resemble modern magnolias, buttercups, and laurels. Climate change may have prevented their expansion into Australasia due to cold temperatures.
How flowers adapt to their pollinators
Researchers found that flower shapes have evolved in adaptation to distinct pollinators, but not uniformly across the entire flower. The showy sterile organs of flowers adapted more quickly to different pollinators than the reproductive organs.
Daisies that close at night have camouflaged petals to protect them from herbivores
Researchers found that tortoises cannot distinguish the lower petal surfaces of daisies with closed flowers, which are camouflaged to avoid herbivores. This novel defense mechanism does not negatively impact pollination interactions.
Quantum dots capture speciation in sandplain fynbos on the West Coast of South Africa
Evolutionary ecologists use quantum dots to label and track pollen grains, showing that long- and short-tubed flowers place and receive pollen on different parts of a fly's tongue. This reveals a barrier to gene flow, capturing plants in the act of speciation and providing insights into the mechanisms behind this process.
Discovery of non-blooming orchid on Japanese subtropical islands
Scientists have discovered a new non-blooming orchid species, Gastrodia amamiana, on Amami-Oshima and Tokunoshima islands. The unique plant has hard buds instead of opening its flowers, suggesting it may have evolved to conserve resources in a forest environment.
Mystery solved -- biologists in Dresden explain the genetic origins of the saffron crocus
Scientists uncover that saffron crocus is a hybrid of wild Crocus cartwrightianus cytotypes, resolving centuries-long debate. Genome sequencing and comparative analysis reveal fusion of two individual genomes, confirming the plant's autotriploid nature.
Feisty hummingbirds prioritize fencing over feeding
Male hummingbirds have evolved stiff, hard-tipped bills for fighting, prioritizing fencing over efficient feeding. These unique bills compromise nectar sipping ability.
Fossils suggest flowers originated 50 million years earlier than thought
A new study in eLife describes a 50-million-year-old fossil flower species that defies widely accepted theories of plant evolution. The discovery of Nanjinganthus dendrostyla sheds light on the origins of angiosperms, potentially indicating an earlier emergence than previously thought.
Virtual models provide real knowledge in the grass family
Researchers created high-quality 3D digital representations of plant structures to answer questions about taxonomic classification, wind pollination, and seed production. The technique has the potential to revolutionize botany education and inform macroevolutionary studies, highlighting the beauty of grass flowers.
How leaves and petals take shape
A study explores how biomechanical factors shape plant organs, revealing a power-law distribution for growth strain within leaves. Researchers replicated leaf geometries in a hydrogel, offering insights into bioinspired structures in soft materials.
SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 19, 2018
Ancient flower fossil points to Core Eudicot Boom 99 million years ago
A 99-million-year-old flower fossil discovered in Burmese amber sheds light on the sudden appearance of angiosperms. The find indicates that Core Eudicots, a group including apple and cherry trees, flourished on Earth around 100 million years ago.
Genes responsible for difference in flower color of snapdragons identified
Researchers at IST Austria identified two genes that determine magenta and yellow flower colors in snapdragons, which are separated by a hybrid zone. The study found that selection favored new variants of these genes, making the flowers more attractive to bees, while also creating barriers to gene exchange.
SourceInstitute of Science and Technology Austria·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 8, 2018
Mechanism behind orchid beauty revealed
Researchers at Tohoku University have identified the retrotransposon insertion in a floral homeotic gene responsible for greenish orchid mutations. This discovery paves the way for genetic modification of orchids to produce more flowers.
Climate change is wreaking havoc on delicate relationship between orchids and bees
A study by the University of Sussex reveals that climate change is altering the timing of events in the interdependent relationship between a rare orchid species and the Buffish Mining-bee. The research shows that rising temperatures are causing an increase in years where the sequence of events needed for successful pollination does no...
Lizards, mice, bats and other vertebrates are important pollinators too
A recent study found that vertebrates are essential pollinators for many plants, including crops like dragon fruit and durian. The study revealed that the exclusion of bat pollinators resulted in an 83% drop in fruit production, highlighting the importance of these animals in plant reproduction.
'Demographic compensation' may not save plants facing changing climate
A study of the scarlet monkeyflower found mixed results for demographic compensation as a means of avoiding population declines in response to changing climate conditions. Despite increases in flowering rates, many southern populations declined due to reduced survival and growth rates.
SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 20, 2018
Closed marriage: An orchid that never blooms
A new species of orchid has been found to be a different identity from previously thought Lecanorchis nigricans var. patipetala. The closed-flower variety has smaller flowers and distinct petal features that set it apart from the open-flower variety.
Earliest fossil evidence of butterflies and moths
Researchers have uncovered the earliest known fossil evidence of insects from the order Lepidoptera, providing important insights into their evolutionary history. The fossils, mostly wing scales, suggest that lepidopterans likely depended first on gymnosperms before shifting to angiosperms as a primary food source.
SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience Advances·DateJan 10, 2018
New forms of orchids identified and described by Lobachevsky University scientists
Lobachevsky University scientists have identified five new forms of the Cypripedium guttatum orchid with distinct flower coloring. The forms exhibit high intraspecific polymorphism, with the most pronounced distinction between externemaculatum and semialbum.
Flower attracts insects by pretending to be a mushroom
The Aspidistra elatior flower attracts insects by pretending to be a mushroom, with fungus gnats being the primary pollinators in its native habitat. This discovery clarifies that like most plants, A. elatior is mainly pollinated by flying insects.
Petals produce a 'blue halo' that helps bees find flowers
Researchers found that flower petals with nanoscale ridges on their surface produce a 'blue halo' effect, which helps bees locate flowers. The irregularities in these nanostructures appear to be harnessed by evolution to aid floral communication.
Pollen stays on bee bodies right where flowers need it for pollination
A study found that ungroomed areas on bees' bodies match the position of flower pollen-sacs and stigmas, facilitating pollen transfer. The researchers also discovered that these 'safe sites' are contacted by flowers' reproductive organs, allowing for efficient pollination.
Have flowers devised the ultimate weapon of distraction?
Researchers found that nectar attracts herbivores like sawflies, which eat petals and nectaries, away from critical flower parts. This 'decoy' strategy allows flowers to protect their reproductive tissues, enhancing pollination success.
What flowers looked like 100 million years ago
A new study reconstructs the evolution of flowers and sheds light on what the earliest flowers might have looked like. The ancestral flower was bisexual, with both female and male parts, and multiple whorls of petal-like organs. This new model offers a plausible scenario to explain the spectacular diversity of floral forms.
To buzz or to scrabble? To foraging bees, that's the question
Researchers discovered that bumblebees use two distinct behaviors to collect pollen from flowers: scrabbling when pollen is abundant and sonication when it's scarce. By analyzing chemical and mechanical cues, the team found that bees switch between these motor regimes depending on their environment.
Sweet bribes for ants are key to crops bearing fruit, study shows
Researchers found that flowering crops produce the greatest volume of sweetest nectar surrounding flowers to attract ants. This strategy allows plants to balance defense and reproduction while avoiding conflicts with pollinators.
Charred flowers and the fossil record
Researchers Victoria Hudspith and Claire Belcher found that different types of plants burned at varying temperatures and that certain flower shapes made them more likely to be destroyed by fire. This discovery affects the interpretation of charred flowers as a source of information about ancient flowering plants.
Untangling the genetic legacy of tomato domestication
Researchers identified two genes that contribute to extreme branching in tomatoes, but found a way to use these genes to create improved plants with increased fruit yields. The study's findings could have implications for other crops in the same genus as tomatoes.
Nicotine enhances bees' activity
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London found that nicotine-laced nectar enhances bumblebees' learning of flower colors and creates addiction-like behavior. The study suggests plants may manipulate pollinator behavior using psychoactive substances like nicotine.
Pollination mystery unlocked by Stirling bee researchers
Researchers found that a pollinator's size significantly influences how much pollen is deposited, with bees fitting tightly into flowers to vibrate and unlock pollen. This discovery helps understand natural populations of nightshade plants and their pollinators.
Sophisticated optical secrets revealed in glossy buttercup flowers
Scientists discovered that buttercup petals contain a one-cell thick epidermis with a yellow pigment, which acts as an optical film reflecting light. The starch layer also scatters light, enriching the flower's bright yellow color. This complex anatomy produces a glossy sheen and advantages pollination and seed maturation.
Flowers use physics to attract pollinators
Flowers use physical tricks such as creating colour and manipulating gravity to attract pollinators. They may also alter their electrical fields to influence visitation rates.
Gene network controls how many flowers and fruits plants will make in critical growth window
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified a network of genes controlling how many flowers and branches are produced in plants, with implications for crop yields and plant diversity. The discovery could lead to new ways to manipulate flowering patterns and improve food production.
Bees use multiple cues in hunt for pollen
Researchers found that bees consider multiple factors, such as strong odour and visual appearance, when deciding on flowers to visit. Bees also form memories of previous experiences and receive feedback from their nest to inform their foraging decisions.
Tricking moths into revealing the computational underpinnings of sensory integration
Researchers investigated how hawkmoths integrate visual and tactile cues to track flowers, revealing a simple additive model for signal combination. The study suggests that the sense of touch plays a greater role in tracking behavior, but both senses are used to follow the flower.
SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 2, 2016
Plant discovered that neither photosynthesizes nor blooms
A new species of plant, Gastrodia kuroshimensis, has been discovered in Japan, exhibiting unique characteristics of non-photosynthesis and cleistogamy. This discovery provides an opportunity to investigate the ecological significance and evolutionary history of complete cleistogamy.
Urbanization affects diets of butterflies: NUS study
A NUS study found that tropical butterflies are more likely to be flower specialists, preferring native plants and having shorter proboscis. Urbanization threatens these specialized species by reducing native plant availability, necessitating conservation intervention measures.
Flower bud uniformity beholden to time and space
Researchers found that cells growing at different rates and directions average out over time, creating uniform flowers on plants. The study identifies a gene, FtsH4, that affects reactive oxygen species accumulation, which stiffens cell walls and regulates growth.
Flight of the bumble bee reveals plants' flair for flower arranging
A study by the University of Edinburgh reveals that plant flower arrangements influence bee flight patterns to maximize pollination and reproduction. Researchers found that flowers on one side of the stem lead to vertical flights, while circular arrangements discourage upward flights.