botany

Nature Communications, Published online: 06 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73964-7 Some cyanobacteria do oxygenic photosynthesis with near-infrared photons using specialized pigments. Here, the authors identify their positions and colors by combining phylogenetic, spectroscopic, and structural methods.

Deep in the mountains of northern Taiwan, a towering Taiwania cryptomerioides -- a large coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae whose ancestors date back 100 million years -- has been confirmed as the tallest known tree in East Asia. The post After Decade-Long Hunt, Scientists Find East Asia’s Tallest Tree appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News .

Natural history collections are historical repositories brimming with potential. Not only are plant and fungal specimens fundamental to scientific research, but they also give us insights into the places, people, and times involved in their collection. Thanks to worldwide digitisation efforts, we now have more power to detangle these stories

In this week’s blog post, Dr. Suzana Alcantara – a researcher at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil – discusses the story behind the cover of Volume 29, Issue 12. Suzana is an evolutionary biologist interested in morphological evolution, plant diversification, and biogeography.  She is particularly interested in understanding the processes that contribute to…

A recent expedition to Central Africa has uncovered dozens of new species. In February, a team of 16 specialists from Africa and around the world visited the Lisima plateau in eastern Angola and conducted a biodiversity survey, through which they discovered dozens of species unknown to science, according to The Wilderness Project, which led the […]

Eggesford Forest, Devon: I thought I was alone in admiring a towering beech in the chilly wood, but I was not I breathe in the bluebells as a blackcap sings. At the crescendo, a flash of yellow breaks up the blue – a brimstone butterfly flies up to my face, then moves back, approaches, then draws back, repeating the fluttered action until I follow. Together, we weave through fresh-scented firs be…

Tender tea shoots are where many of tea's most valued sensory compounds are made, transported, and transformed. A new spatial transcriptome study has mapped how genes are expressed across the apical bud, young leaf, and tender stem of tea plants, offering a cell-position-aware view of flavor metabolism.

Fresh aroma is one of the qualities that makes litchi immediately recognizable, yet the chemistry and genetics behind this sensory trait have remained unclear. A new study has identified four volatile organic compounds (VOCs)--trans,cis-2,6-nonadien-1-ol, 1-hexanol, (E)-6-nonenal, and (E)-2-hexen-1-ol--as key markers that distinguish stronger fresh-aroma litchi cultivars from lighter-aroma ones. …

A new study suggests that spider webs can serve as natural, non-destructive collectors of fungal material in agricultural ecosystems. The post From Spider Silk to Science: A New Way to Access Hidden Fungal Diversity first appeared on Blog .

A research team has mapped how a key ripening regulator helps strawberries develop the color, softness, sweetness, and aroma that define fruit quality. The study focuses on FaRIF, a Ripening Inducing Factor (RIF) belonging to the NAM, ATAF, and CUC (NAC) transcription factor (TF) family.

A recent workshop at the Garden showcased the scientific wonder that comes from fermenting indigo plants.

Through hands-on classes, greenhouse work, and research opportunities, Kaylyn Wood found a career path rooted in plants, wellness, and entrepreneurship. She's now double majoring in plant sciences and psychology with minors in entrepreneurship and cannabis studies.

The context-dependent fate of seeds, shaped by birds that can act as both antagonists and mutualists, reveals a hidden variability of functions and seed dispersal mechanisms, underscoring the need for stronger empirical evidence to accurately understand seed dispersal ecology.

Hogshaw, Derbyshire: We’re up to 27 spotted orchids in our garden, and every one is a miracle When we moved to this house, we didn’t need the encouragement of No Mow May – the ecological campaign advocating restraint in the garden. Our old lawnmower was designed to tackle your average handkerchief and leaving nine-tenths of the new place uncut was a matter of necessity as much as self-control. Th…