Plants
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Plants
Borrowed genes give mums the blues
Scientists have genetically modified chrysanthemums to be “true blue” for the first time.
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Tech
This robot grows like a plant
A new soft robot navigates its environment by growing in a manner inspired by plants.
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Genetics
How a crop-destroying fungus mutated to infect wheat
Study details how wheat got a new pathogen called blast fungus.
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Plants
Hermaphrodite wildflower has its own battle of the sexes
A new example of sexual conflict shows up in a plant with a troublesome pollinator.
By Susan Milius -
Plants
How to eavesdrop on kelp
Sounds reverberating through a kelp bed can be linked to environmental factors, suggesting a low-key way to monitor undersea communities.
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Plants
Petunias spread their scent using pushy proteins
Scent molecules hitch a ride on a particular protein to escape flowers.
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Plants
Floral curve test shows what’s great for a moth is not so good for a flower
3-D printed flowers reveal a hidden conflict between a hawk moth and the flowers it pollinates.
By Susan Milius -
Plants
Genetic switch offers clue to why grasses are survival masters
Scientists have identified a genetic switch that helps grasses regulate their carbon dioxide intake.
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Animals
How one enslaving wasp eats through another
A wasp that forces oaks to grow a gall gets tricked into digging an escape tunnel for its killers.
By Susan Milius -
Plants
Enzymes aid rice plants’ arsenic defenses
Rice plant roots have natural defenses against arsenic.
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Plants
Big genetics study blazes path for bringing back tomato flavor
Combining taste tests with genetics suggests what makes heirloom varieties tastier than mass-market tomatoes.
By Susan Milius -
Ecosystems
In debate over origin of fairy circles, both sides might be right
Odd bare spots called fairy circles in African grasslands might be caused by both termites and plants.
By Susan Milius