Floral polymorphism and environmental heterogeneity Polymorphism in flower colour may be maintained either by pollinator preferences or by environmental fluctuations. Tang and Huan examine gynoecium colour polymorphism in an emergent, aquatic monocot Butomus umbellatus and find that the major pollinator groups do not discriminate between the pink and white morphs. Instead, the plants differ in [...]

An interesting twist on an old cliché has been launched at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. In the UK the size of Wales has long been recognised as a useful measure of any disaster area (earthquakes, combat zones and the classic deforestation). Now there’s a new initiative trying to measure something positive in terms [...]

Self-cleaning nanotechnology from plant leaf surfaces comes of age