When a Plant Recognizes Sister Sue

If the ordinary-looking beach plant, the sea rocket, notices unrelated plants on the beach nearby, it will sprout aggressive nutrient-grabbing roots. But if it detects a sibling nearby, it restrains itself. The research is described in the Science Section of today’s New York Times. That’s surprising enough behavior for a plant, and there’s a little discussion about it. But the box-office smash in the article is a time-lapse movie of a parasitic dodder seedling sniffing out, and then coiling around a hapless tomato plant. Check it out!

A little diversion today.