Biology Stack Exchange
Biology Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [botany]

The study of plants and plant life.

The scientific study of plants, including their structure, physiology, genetics, molecular/cellular biology, ecology, distribution, classification, evolution, and economic importance.

This tag is intended for questions about plants; i.e. pertaining to any of the angiosperms, gymnosperms, bryophytes, pteridophytes (ferns + allies), and algae.

Botany is a fairly broad tag, so more precise tags should be used in conjunction with this tag. Commonly paired tags include:

Botany can also be paired with other broad fields of study including:

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What could cause a forest of bent trees?

While hiking on the northern Idaho-Montana border, I encountered a large area where virtually every tree is bent at the base in the downhill direction. Only the very largest and very smallest trees are straight. What could cause this?
Mark
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How does the sensitive plant detect vibrations?

The sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) is a remarkable little plant whose characteristic feature is its ability to droop its leaves when disturbed: Apparently, this ability to droop rests on the cells in the leaves of the sensitive plant being able to…
user132
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Examples of plant families that contain species that are safe for human consumption and species that are poisonous to humans?

I am trying to make a point to someone that just because two plants share a family and one plant is safe for human consumption, it does not follow that the other plant also is safe for human consumption. Can anyone provide an example I can use as…
Im_no_botanist
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Is any known plant magnetic?

Is there a plant (not a microscopic type but one that is visible to the naked eye) that has so much iron (or magnetite), cobalt, or nickel in its body that it can attract a magnet? In this case "attract" would mean that a person holding a small…
user12939
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How do plant galls form?

I am curious how Gall Wasps, bacteria and other organisms induce galls to form. Specifically, what chemicals induce gall formation?
Dale
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Where does moss come from?

I've been growing plants in pots for several years, and in some of my pots a patch of green moss appears and steadily grows to fill the whole surface area of the soil. But that doesn't happen in other pots. I've used different bags of soil for…
user1306322
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How deep in the soil can a seed be placed and still develop into a plant/tree?

The selected answer to How does a plant grow before photosynthesis is possible? indicates that a sprout grows beneath the soil using the food stored within the seed. Does this limited ready food place a restriction upon the depth to which a seed…
Everyone
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Are there plants that produce (audible) sound?

Are there any plants that are at least able to produce some sort of sound? Actively, I mean - depleting energy reserves to produce an audible output, preferably with no experimental amplification. Ultra- or infrasound is also ok. Edit: I guess a…
Zubo
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Are there any motile plants?

There are numerous examples of sessile animals (sponges, barnacles etc.) but are there any examples of motile plants? If not, why not? Surely mobility would have conferred an evolutionary advantage to some plant species. I am specifically thinking…
Poshpaws
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Why can't a corn cob have 13 rows of seeds?

Every time before eating a corn, I count its lines. I would always find 12 or 14 rows of seeds, but never 13. Is there any biological/scientific reason behind this?
user31782
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Can fruit tissue be cultured and grown independent from the plant?

Can fruit tissue be grown in a tissue culture as is done to other plant tissues? From the answer to this question, I learned that fruit is alive. Could it be possible to manufacture fruit products without plants, using this method?
J. Musser
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Is Bramble (blackberry bush) carnivorous?

I have come across this video which put forth the hypothesis that bramble actually qualifies as a carnivorous plant. The observations that have led to the hypothesis are: 1. Sheep getting caught frequently in bramble 2. Sheep will die without…
Ahmed Abdullah
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How do plants benefit from their seeds being buried?

Common planting advice, when starting many plants from seed, is to bury the seed some small distance under the soil. It seems like most plants (at least members of class Dicotyledonae) will grow a root, lift the seed casing out above the surface,…
John Walthour
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Are flowers / flowering plants vital to all life on Earth?

Not a biology student so forgive me if this is a very basic question. Are flowering plants (angiosperms) vital to all (or most) life on Earth? In other words, if flowering plants disappeared, would all (or most) life on this planet be gone as a…
0xSina
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Why do plants' leaves become enlarged in low light areas?

Why do almost all plants in shade have a smaller stem structure and larger leaf than that same species grown in a well lit, sunny area?
J. Musser
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