How grasses avoid inbreeding

Corn, rice, wheat, sugar cane—the grass family contains a number of species that are important food sources for humans and have been bred and cultivated for millennia. Wild and farm animals, too, depend heavily on grasses ...

Scientists solve the grass leaf conundrum

Grass is cut regularly by our mowers and grazed on by cows and sheep, yet continues to grow back. The secret to its remarkable regenerative powers lies in part in the shape of its leaves, but how that shape arises has been ...

Conferring leaf rust resistance in cereal crops

Genes have been identified that confer resistance to multiple leaf rust species in barley. The findings by an international team, led by KAUST researchers, could transform the breeding of durable disease-resistant cereal ...

A new species of huntsman spider described

Senckenberg scientist Dr. Peter Jäger has described four new species in the huntsman spider family. One of the newly discovered animals reveals a surprising specialization: It makes its home inside of bamboo. To enter the ...

Virtual models provide real knowledge in the grass family

The structures of flowers and other plant parts represent a rich and complex source of botanical information with great potential to answer a variety of taxonomic, evolutionary, and ecological questions. As computational ...

Updating classifications to reflect monophyly

The move from a "traditional" to a "phylogenetic" classification of grasses (Poaceae) has resulted in 10% of species having their scientific name changed.

Maps of Miscanthus genome offer insight into grass evolution

Miscanthus grasses are used in gardens, burned for heat and energy, and converted into liquid fuels. They also belong to a prominent grass family that includes corn, sorghum and sugarcane. Two new, independently produced ...

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