Mountain systems of Central Asia represent major centres of plant diversification, yet the evolutionary and climatic determinants of vulnerability in this region remain poorly understood. Here, we int...

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Fire enhances the flowering of many species, especially geophytes. This fire-stimulated flowering is now quite well known [1]; however, little is known about its benefits. A recent paper on four mediterrnean geophytes (Asphodelus cerasifer, Dipcadi serotinum, Drimia maritima, and Narcissus assoanus) shows that fire enhanced multiple stages of the plant cycle (Figure 1) [2]. These […]

Plants may seem like some of nature's most passive creatures, but some have a say in how they live and even where they live. Cody Howard, a Ph.D. candidate in the Cellinese Lab at the Florida Museum ...

Check out the latest for Grassroots League: Geophytes on 04/13/2026

Snowdrops are economically important early-spring flowering geophytes. They are protected both in Hungary and across the European Union, and their international trade is regulated under the Washington Convention. Despite their importance, virological research on Galanthus species and cultivars remains limited. To date, only a single virus, Snowdrop virus Y, a tentative member of the genus Potyvirus within the family Potyviridae, has been identified in Galanthus. In this study, ten wild leaf samples and one cultivated, asymptomatic leaf samples were collected in accordance with the prescribed permit conditions. Both ELISA and RT-PCR tests were conducted, indicating infection by a Potyvirus. Direct sequencing of the PCR products revealed nucleotide heterogeneity in one sample, suggesting infection with multiple isolates of the same virus. In this case, the purified PCR product was ligated into pGEM®-T Easy vector. Individual clones were then sequenced to identify the distinct viral i

The LA heatwave has woken up the haws! Too bad the geophytes and conos are going to sleep already.

Aim The five Mediterranean regions of the globe are plant biodiversity hotspots, and there has not been a comparative analytical framework examining correlates of diversity across these regions. Of .....