evolution

New paper proposes the primary dimensons of flower construction

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their …

A central challenge in plant ecology is to define the major axes of plant functional variation with direct con- sequences for fitness. Central to the three main components of plant fitness (growth, survival, and reproduction) is the rate of metabolic …

Floral form and function under rapid environmental change

For most angiosperms, flowers are critical to reproduction because they increase rates of outcrossing. Flowers are highly variable in numerous traits, including size, shape, and color. Most of this variation is thought to have arisen because of …

Accepted paper explains how flower size and color have important effects on flower energy balance.

From rainforests to deserts, across latitudes and elevations, the flowering plants (the angiosperms) dominate almost every terrestrial ecosystem. It is impossible not to be amazed and impressed by their abundance and diversity. While their sudden …

Published paper shows that flower physiological traits covary the same as leaves even though flowers are more hydraulically variable.

-Maintaining water balance has been a critical constraint shaping the evolution of leaf form and function. However, flowers, which are heterotrophic and relatively short-lived, may not be constrained by the same physiological and developmental …

The abrupt origin and rapid diversification of the flowering plants during the Cretaceous has long been considered an “abominable mystery.” While the cause of their high diversity has been attributed largely to coevolution with pollinators and …