The study reveals how Balanophora plants function despite abandoning photosynthesis and, in some species, sexual reproduction. Their plastid genomes shrank dramatically in a shared ancestor, yet the ...

Balanophora may look like a mushroom, but instead of being a fungus, it's a parasitic plant with rare traits that puzzle ...

Asexual, or vegetative, reproduction in plants is controlled by environmental conditions, but the molecular signaling pathways that control this process are poorly understood. Recent research suggests ...

Researchers have identified a genetic sequence that is essential for plant reproduction. As this region is found in all plant species, it is expected to contribute to future crossbreeding initiatives ...

Plant reproduction is highly complex and variable across the kingdom. The emergence of sexual reproduction has contributed to increase plant genetic diversity and enabled the colonisation of new ...

In the damp understory of forests in Taiwan, mainland Japan, and Okinawa, a plant called Balanophora can fool you at first ...

The time a spider plant mom remains tethered to her spiderette can be influenced by the daughter plant's environment.

We tend to think of plants as passive, vulnerable actors. But in their partnership with insects, it’s plants that often play ...