Author | Lightnews

Reposted by Molly Nash Rouzie

Pawel Wasowicz @pawelwasowicz.bsky.social · 5d

Our new study with @drandygreen.bsky.social
overturns the idea that seed or fruit traits determine plant spread. #botany #SeedDispersal #IslandEcology #Surtsey #Iceland #PlantScience #BirdEcology #EcologyLetters doi.org/10.1111/ele....

Putative ‘Dispersal Adaptations’ Do Not Explain the Colonisation of a Volcanic Island by Vascular Plants, but Birds Can

It is widely assumed that adaptations for long-distance dispersal are identifiable from seed and fruit traits used to define ‘dispersal syndromes’. Sixty years of monitoring a new island allowed us t...

doi.org

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Hope Jahren @realhopejahren.bsky.social · 10d

If you study plants, you need this book.
🧵1/n

The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants

A dazzlingly illustrated guide to the plant life of the dinosaur age, from intricate ferns to the most majestic megaflora

press.princeton.edu

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Molly Nash Rouzie @mollynashrouzie.bsky.social · 13d

Joining you in noticing family Asteraceae, the family most prominently in flower right now in NYC.

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Molly Nash Rouzie @mollynashrouzie.bsky.social · 13d

That showy red flower is some sort of Abutilon, a genus in family Malvaceae. It is sometimes called flowering maple because its leaves resemble those of maple trees.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 25d

🧪 Taxonomy can tell bigger stories 🌎
This new revision by @moopellegrini.bsky.social of gem-fruited dayflowers names Commelina sugariae for Rebecca Sugar and C. almandina for Garnet, recognising how inclusive storytelling helps people see themselves in science and nature.
💎🌼 ow.ly/3lOp50X3fU4

Above- Fruiting branch of Commelina almandina (the Garnet dayflower). Bottom-right- Flower of C. almandina being visited by a Plebeia stingless bee. Bottom-left- The pearl-like fruits of C. rufipes, the sapphire-like fruits of C. leiocarpa, and the off-white fruit of C. scabrata, which is damaged (shattered) by weevil larvae
Above- Fruiting branch of Commelina almandina (the Garnet dayflower). Bottom-right- Flower of C. almandina being visited by a Plebeia stingless bee. Bottom-left- The pearl-like fruits of C. rufipes, the sapphire-like fruits of C. leiocarpa, and the off-white fruit of C. scabrata, which is damaged (shattered) by weevil larvae.

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · 26d

While Magnolia relies on biotic seed dispersal, Liriodendron relies on the wind. Each carpel becomes a woody, winged fruit (except for the lowermost carpels, which form a basket to hold their winged sisters). This is L. tulipifera. #dispersal #Magnoliaceae #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Photo of a leafless branch bearing a single fruit of the tulip tree. The individual carpels have matured into woody, winged samaras. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

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Stefan A. Rensing @rensingstefan.bsky.social · 27d

Here's 123 new bryophyte genomes for you!
Apparently, bryophytes time and again include microbial genes in their genomic repertoire, and occupy a langer gene space than vascular plants.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Bryophytes hold a larger gene family space than vascular plants - Nature Genetics

A super-pangenome analysis incorporating 123 newly sequenced bryophyte genomes reveals that bryophytes exhibit a larger number of unique and lineage-specific gene families than vascular plants.

www.nature.com

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · Sep 22

Let’s take a look at Magnoliaceae. Named for Pierre Magnol, who gave us the modern concept of plant families. There are now just 2 genera, distributed in Asia & the Americas: Magnolia s.l. (📷2: M. cylindrica) & Liriodendron (📷3: L. tulipifera). #Magnoliaceae #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Photo of a bust of Pierre Magnol. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

Photo of a leafless branch bearing many large, white magnolia flowers. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

Photo of two cut flowers from Liriodendron. They are large, with tepals that are green with a splash of orange at the base. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

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eLife @elife.bsky.social · Sep 20

🌱 Using ‘compelling’ methods, including #CryoET, researchers mapped spinach thylakoid membranes at single-molecule precision, revealing how photosynthetic complexes are organised and settling long-standing debates on chloroplast architecture.
buff.ly/j3TSIkn

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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · Sep 19

I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.

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Priyantha Wijesinghe @elaphrornis.bsky.social · Sep 14

Naturalists in the Northeast including New York City have been noting a distinctive type of stem gall on Common Mugwort. Thanks to a recent paper by Carol Mapes & others we now know these mugwort stem galls are caused by the early stages of Pseudomordellina hattorii (Coleoptera: Mordellidae).

An opened up mugwort stem gall showing a whitish beetle larva

Larva of beetle Pseudomordellina hattorii on palm of observer.

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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · Sep 14

There’s an interesting series of 5 free online paleobotany lectures via the Oxford University Botanic Garden this autumn. You can book all 5 lectures here (scroll down webpage to ‘Get your tickets now’ button) www.obga.ox.ac.uk/event/dr-san... #paleobotany

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#9 Dream @gayfabfourfan.bsky.social · Sep 7

“We’ve collectively decided to pretend a vascular disease that attacks every organ in your body is basically a head cold. We’ve decided that forty percent of infections happening with zero symptoms is totally normal and fine...” #COVID

Christophe Veltsos @drinfosec.bsky.social · Sep 7

Great news 🎉, David has now posted this 🎯 blog article on his website too:

COVID Isn’t a Cold. It’s Cigarettes All Over Again (Sept 7, 2025)
www.notesforfriends.com/p/covid-isnt...

COVID Isn’t a Cold. It’s Cigarettes All Over Again

The Damage Is Everywhere – That Is the Definition of Long COVID

www.notesforfriends.com

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Amytiville Hoyrror @amyhoy.bsky.social · Sep 7

"how can you get more accurate answers" from an LLM? that's like asking "how can you get more love from a prostitute." that's just not the service provided.

— Thomas' words of wisdom

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Wayne Maddison @waynemaddison.bsky.social · Sep 5

Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.

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Silvia Pineda-Munoz, PhD - Climate Ages @climateages.bsky.social · Sep 6

Half a billion years ago, oceans didn’t breathe steadily,
they lurched between oxygen-rich and suffocating for over 100M years.

New research shows deep time holds a warning: once oxygen is lost,
it takes ages to return.

Our seas don’t have that time. 🌊
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/LV89Djv

Deep Time, Modern Warnings: What 485 Million Years of Ocean Oxygen Tells Us Now

Ancient oceans didn’t oxygenate overnight; they lurched between breathing and suffocating for over 100 million years Have you ever stood on the deck of a boat...

climateages.com

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Sarah Whorley, Ph.D. @dralgaegirl.bsky.social · Sep 6

Still my favorite meme included in my lectures. I did not make this, and no idea who did.

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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · Jun 12

Here's something I post from time to time. My answer to a reader who asked me: what could journalists do NOW to break with some of their more corrosive habits.

Here is a list I post from time to time. My answer to a reader who asked me: what could journalists do NOW to break with some of their more corrosive habits.

Defense of democracy seen as basic to the job.

Symmetrical accounts of asymmetrical realities seen as malpractice.

“Politics as strategic game” frame seen as low quality, downmarket, amateurish— and overmatched.

Bad actors with a history of misinforming the public seen as unsuitable sources and unwelcome guests.

Internalizing of the “liberal bias” critique seen as self-crippling, a historic mistake in need of correction.

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The English Oak Project @thekentacorn.bsky.social · Sep 6

This is an Acorn Vase

It is a good way to study the root system of an oak seedling

It also allows you to grow an oak from seed indoors during the winter using forced germination

That is why we have a selection of acorns wrapped in moist tissue, in a zip bag, in the fridge

An oak seedling in a vase that allows the roots to reach the water whilst allowing the seedling to grow

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · Sep 4

Dracaena has at least 3 kinds of inflorescences. Some have unbranched racemes, others have branched racemes, & another group, like this D. pethera (Sansevieria kirkii), has dense umbels. The flowers open at night, have a sweet fragrance & are moth-pollinated. #Dracaena #Asparagaceae #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Photo of a plant with thick, variegated leaves with wavy margins. A single inflorescence rises above the foliage with an umbel of white, tubular flowers. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

Close-up photo of the flowers. They are tubular, white, and have exserted stamens. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · Sep 5

Fruits of #Dracaena are berries: fleshy, colorful fruits with several seeds. These are surely consumed by animals, who disperse the seeds & likely account for the wide distribution of the genus. These fruits are D. surculosa, a species grown for its spotted foliage. #Asparagaceae #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Photo of the foliage of this species. The leaves are broadly elliptical and have a scattering of white freckles. A hand holds an infructescence with orange berries. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.

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Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · Aug 23

OKAY good morning everyone, let's talk about the ostensible katydid testicles on display here and their horrifying evolution

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · Aug 23

Like Jesus bro we’re in a park there are kids here come on

A katydid’s genitalia I’m so sorry I’m so sorry

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Sandy Hetherington @sandyheth.bsky.social · Aug 20

A great example of how comparative genomics across the full range of vascular plant lineages can be used as a catalyst for gene discovery!
Exciting new single cell datasets for gymnosperms, ferns and lycophytes!
The scale of this study is really amazing!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

A unified cell atlas of vascular plants reveals cell-type foundational genes and accelerates gene discovery

A cross-species single-cell atlas highlights a core subset of cell-type foundational genes associated with major vascular plant cell types, enabling the identification of hidden cell types and the dev...

www.cell.com

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · Aug 21

The seeds of Hevea brasiliensis (rubber) are cyanogenic, and the glycoside serves a dual purpose: it protects the seed, and if not needed for defense, the nitrogen in the glycoside is recovered & used for growth. 📷: Ria Tan CCBYNCSA2. ☠️ #HCN #Euphorbiaceae #TropicalBotany #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Photo of the forest floor with a rubber tree fruit valve and a mottled seed.

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Karolina Heyduk @kheyduk.bsky.social · Aug 19

Our "Joshua tree is CAM" paper is finally out: nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Data collection started back in 2021, when we saw weird results in some RNAseq that made me stop and wonder if Joshua trees, long thought to be C3, were actually...CAM!

Cryptic CAM photosynthesis in Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia, Y. jaegeriana)

Joshua trees are long-lived perennial monocots native to the Mojave Desert in North America. Composed of two species, Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana (Asparagaceae), Joshua trees are imperiled by...

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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