This video segment adapted from NOVA explains how flowers play a central role in the reproductive cycle of plants. Their striking array of colors, patterns, fragrances, and nectar all require lots of ...

Asteraceae presents one of the most diverse and intricate reproductive systems among flowering plants. The family is typified by its composite inflorescences, which combine both ray and disc florets ...

Plant reproductive complexity increased in two, widely separated pulses likely driven by important evolutionary innovations, including the origin of seeds and flowers, according to a new study. These ...

The sex organs of primitive plants are inspiring precise pipettes. Liverworts are a group of ground-hugging plants with male and female reproductive structures shaped like tiny palm trees. The female ...

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 ...

Sex in the garden is more straightforward for the birds and the bees than it’s for the plants. Reproductive processes vary among flowering plants; for many, there is more than one option. When ...

In the flowering plant world, reproduction means an intricate succession of events. It begins when a pollen grain that carries the sperm cells lands on the top of the pistil, the female reproductive ...

In plants, flowering is a crucial process for reproductive success and continuity of the species through time. Fruit production requires the perfect development of reproductive structures. Abscission, ...

At the base of mossy trees, deep in the mountains of Taiwan and mainland Japan or nestled in the subtropical forests of ...

Grape phylloxera -- the insect that nearly wiped out wine production at the end of the 19th century in France -- hijacks a grape vine's reproductive programs to create a leaf gall, which it uses as a ...

Seeds, young plants, tubers and other types of plant reproductive material are an important part of our food supplies. They help ensure the productivity, diversity, and the health and quality of ...