What came first — the plant or the seed? Columnist Carol Barany explores how plants made the leap from water to land, why ...

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 ...

Venkatesan Sundaresan, a plant reproduction biologist at UC Davis, has been awarded a 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture for his groundbreaking work on plant reproduction, which led to a method for ...

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 ...

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 ...

Small RNAs are short RNA molecules that help determine which genes in a cell are switched on or off. Until now, it was assumed that the small RNAs necessary for pollen development originate in the ...

Scientists have established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design the genomes of offspring. The fertilization of a clonal egg from one parent by a clonal sperm ...

The alien-like blooms and putrid stench of Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower, draw big crowds and media coverage to botanical gardens each year. In 2015, for instance, more ...

The black-bulb yam excels at mimicry, producing small clones of itself that look like the dark, shiny berries of seed-growing ...

A rare yam species, Dioscorea melanophyma, spreads its clones by fooling birds with fake berries, helping it survive without seeds.