To investigate the genetic mechanism of mercury accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.), a population of 194 recombinant inbred lines derived from an elite hybrid Yuyu 22, was used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for mercury accumulation at two locations. The results showed that the average Hg concentration in the different tissues of maize followed the order: leaves > bracts > stems > a...

• Both floral rewards and advertisements can be important in the attraction of pollinators, but few studies have separated the individual contributions of rewards and advertisements to fitness. • Here, we investigated selection by pollinators on individual blossoms in Dalechampia schottii. This Neotropical vine, endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula, rewards bees by secreting fully visible, deep-blu...

Mourera fluviatilis from northern South America is a spectacular member of the Podostemaceae (river-weeds). Its racemelike inflorescences are up to 64 cm long and have 40–90 flowers arranged in two opposite rows. Inflorescence development starts with the initiation of a double-sheathed (dithecous) bract in a terminal position. All lateral bracts (again dithecous) are initiated in basipetal orde...

Prunus pananensis Z. L. Chen, W. J. Chen & X. F. Jin, a new species of Rosaceae from central Zhejiang, China is described and illustrated. Micromorphological characters of the indumentum on young shoots, leaves, petioles and peduncles, including scanning electron microscope [SEM] images, are provided. This new species is morphologically similar to P. schneiderianae Koehne in having its young sh...

Abstract Background Walnut anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. and Sacc. is an important walnut production problem in China. Although the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are for plant disease resistance, molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to C. remain poorly understood. Results The anthracnose-resistant F26 fruits from B26 clone anthracnose-susceptible F423...

Aceria guerreronis Keifer can cause severe damage to coconuts in several countries around the world. Rare studies have been conducted to determine the predatory mites associated with A. guerreronis in Brazil. The study evaluated the prevalence of A. guerreronis and associated predators on the bracts and on the surface of the fruits underneath the bracts, for 12 months, on coconut palms grown al...

Potted bougainvillea `Purple Flower' and `Taipei Red' in four different stages of bract development were sprayed with STS (0.1, 0.5 mM) or NAA (25, 50 ppm) and were moved to lowlight indoor conditions after treatment. The experiment was conducted twice, and the results showed that 0.5 mM STS and NAA (25, 50 ppm) could signi®cantly prolong the longevity of bracts at certain stages in both cultiv...