botany

Staurogyne stenophylla (Hemsl.) C. B. Clarke ex S. Moore (S. stenophylla) has long been recognized in traditional folk medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties. However, its specific bioactive components and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear, which limits its scientific application as a novel anti-inflammatory feed additive for livestock and poultry. This study employed ultra-pe…

Researchers also discover that the ancient vines of Chianti, famed for its red wines, produced white fruit DNA extracted from 2,000-year-old grape seeds found in ancient wells in Tuscany has enabled scientists to map the most extensive genetic history of grapevines recovered from a single site, revealing that vineyards of the Roman era formed part of the empire’s sophisticated agricultural networ…

The world is coming to North America this month for a celebration. Tempting as it is to offer a plant hunt with nearly identical species of grass for the tournament, I thought to do something else. Each plant hunt will cover species that have come to North America to add to its culture. This sounded like a fun idea. This week it's Africa. Africa has given a lot to North America, but it would also…

Geraniums and begonias remain popular choices for hanging baskets, but many gardeners continue returning to petunias for one reason: volume. A single plant can spread beyond the edges of its container and produce enough blooms to transform an entire pergola, fence line, or backyard corner. Unlike flowers that remain compact throughout the season, petunias expand... The post Not Geraniums, Not Beg…

Space agriculture, stem cells, and cargo operations wrapped up the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew also conducted blood tests and installed a new food processor as a U.S. cargo spacecraft nears the end of its mission. The post Botany and Biology Research Wrap Up Week as Dragon Preps for Earth Return appeared first on NASA Science .

Millions of herbarium specimens are now only a click away. But how do botanists find the right records, sort the right images and train better AI tools? Three digital botany tools are helping turn online collections into usable knowledge.

Voilà: my last batch of photos, this time a small selection from Norm Gilinsky, including two species we have in Botany Pond.  Norm’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them. All of these photos were taken with an ordinary iPhone on June 1 on the eastern shore of Lake … Continue reading Readers’ wildlife photos

Nature, Published online: 11 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01857-2 Softening of the cells on the outermost suface of the trap lets the plant move at a breakneck pace.

It was widely thought that the movement of water through Venus flytrap cells caused the trap to close, but detailed experiments have led scientists to propose an alternative mechanism

The carnivorous plant’s speedy reaction time sets it apart from other plants The post The Venus Flytrap Mystery That Vexed Darwin, Solved appeared first on Nautilus .

Intricate tests show hair-trigger detection causes cells on outer surface of leaf to soften, prompting closure The Venus flytrap is one of nature’s most impressive predators, luring insects with the intoxicating scent of nectar before capturing them with a snap of its jaw-like leaves. Now, scientists have revealed the mechanism that allows the carnivorous plant to react with lightning speed, reso…

Scientific Data, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07576-7 A Manually Annotated and Curated Mediterranean Plant Image Dataset of Native Species from Lebanon

Bacterial spot disease is one of the destructive threats to peach production, damaging leaves, weakening tree vigor, and reducing fruit quality. New research reveals how peach plants activate a natural chemical defense to limit this disease. The study shows that infection by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (Xap) triggers the accumulation of proanthocyanidins (PAs), plant metabolites known for an…

Anyone with a smartphone probably has a camera roll of images waiting to be sorted through. Now imagine you have millions of images to process, and associated data to manage, and some of them include labels handwritten with a quavering hand by candlelight over 200 years ago by a botanist

A new method reveals that developing barley seeds run their own form of photosynthesis, distinct from the familiar process in leaves.