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Annals of Botany
@annbot.bsky.social
5.1K followers 1.3K following 2.4K posts
International journal publishing novel and rigorous research in all areas of plant science, managed by the Annals of Botany Company, a not-for-profit educational charity.
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🌎 Using a new global database (APALM), the authors showed that ~10% of all palm species are acaulescent. A meta-analysis revealed that disturbances had positive or neutral effects on belowground traits across species. (7/9)
Figure showing (A) World map of acaulescent palm richness in pixels of 2 degrees based on 40.329 occurrences using GBIF plugin (v2.0) in QGIS 3.40 LTR (the darker the colour, the higher the species density). Data is available in Table S2 – sheet 1. Black crosses indicate the sites with quantitative data on disturbance response that were used in the meta-analysis (Fig. 6). (B) Belowground system of 216 species of acaulescent palms classified into three main categories: non-ramified, ramified, and both. The non-ramified rhizome is represented by the saxophone-shaped axis of Allagoptera campestris, and the ramified rhizome by Syagrus loefgrenii.
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🌿 Both species adjusted their morphological traits under long-term pine cultivation, but crucially, they were still able to resprout after biomass removal, recovering leaves, height, and ramets over time. (6/9)
Morphological traits (A–E) and nonstructural carbohydrates (F) in the rhizomes of Allagoptera campestris and Syagrus loefgrenii from natural Cerrado (NCE), pine understory (UPI), and Cerrado under regeneration (CER). For variables with n = 5 or n = 10, data are displayed as boxplots, which show the median (horizontal line), first and third quartiles (box), the range excluding outliers (whiskers), and outliers (solid circles). For variables with n = 3, data are presented as scatter plots, where points represent individual values for each variable. Different letters denote significant differences at the 5% probability level (Tukey test) among the three areas.
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🔬 Researchers studied two Cerrado species (Allagoptera campestris and Syagrus loefgrenii) across three histories:
• undisturbed Cerrado
• under pine afforestation
• regenerating Cerrado
Then they removed aboveground biomass and followed recovery for one year. (5/9)
Figure showing study areas. (A) Natural Cerrado (NCE), (B) Pine understory (UPI) and (C) Cerrado under regeneration (CER). (D-E) Sampling of the individuals in the pine understory (d) and transport of the collected plants (e). (F) Individual of Syagrus loefgrenii in the NCE. (G) Individual of (f) after the clearcutting. Arrows indicate the ramets distribution. (H) Detail of the clear-cutting region of a ramet.
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🌱 Acaulescent palms keep most of their biomass belowground, a strategy thought to promote resilience. The authors hypothesized that acaulescent palms share functional traits that allow persistence across disturbance regimes, globally. (4/9)
Figure with nine panels showing cross-sections evidencing the starch grains storage in the rhizome of Allagoptera campestris (A-C) and in the rhizome (D-F) and roots (G-I) of Syagrus loefgrenii from the natural Cerrado (NCE), pine understory (UPI), and from Cerrado under regeneration (CER) areas. The starch grains are evidenced by the histochemical test with Lugol’s reagent (A-C) and zinc chloride iodine (D-I). Bars: B, D, E = 250 μm; A, C, F, G = 100 μm; H, I = 50 μm.
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🌍 Disturbances such as fire, grazing, or land-use change remove aerial biomass and challenge plant survival. In the Cerrado, afforestation with pine plantations has drastically altered the environment for native species. How do they cope? (3/9)
Authors of the paper, during research.
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🌴🔥 How do plants survive repeated disturbances? This new study explores how acaulescent palms (palms without an aboveground stem) persist and recover after disturbance in the Brazilian Cerrado and beyond. (2/9)
Allagoptera campestris. Credits: Gabriela da Silva
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🎉 Great news! The paper ‘Acaulescent palms are resilient to disturbances: experimental and global evidence’ in @annbot.bsky.social by Gabriela da Silva and co-authors is now #free for 2 weeks 🧵(1/9)

👉 doi.org/qnrn

@jgpausas.bsky.social

#PlantResilience #PlantEcology #AoBpapers #PlantScience
Acaulescent palms are resilient to disturbances: experimental and global evidence
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🆕 The new issue of Annals of Botany is now online!

🌱 How leaf-dwelling fungi can reshape soil chemistry
🌬️ Why some wind-pollinated plants evolved grass-like traits
🔥 How plants recover after fire, drought, and salinity
and more…

New issue👉 botany.fyi/bep8tb

#plantscience #botany
The cover image shows the inflorescence of Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae; formerly Cleome gynandra), a leafy vegetable and medicinal plant widely cultivated in Africa. Commonly known as spider plant or spider flower, the species is characterized by its prominent, elongated floral structures. The accession shown here originates from Malawi in southeastern Africa.
January 26, 2026 at 11:50 AM
annbot.bsky.social
Crucially, gene expression and exudates were functionally linked:
🔬 Higher expression of biosynthesis genes → higher abundance of their corresponding exudates. (7/9)
Figure showing how infection by the fungus Epichloë changes the activity of genes and the release of chemical compounds in the roots of the grass Achnatherum inebrians. Plants with the fungus (Epichloë-infected) are compared with plants without it. The panels illustrate key metabolic processes in roots, including sugar metabolism, energy production, amino acid pathways, and the synthesis of compounds involved in plant structure and defence. Diagrams on the left show how these metabolic pathways work, while tables on the right indicate how strongly genes and root-released compounds increased or decreased in plants carrying the fungus. Colours highlight whether gene activity and compound release were higher or lower in infected plants, and the most strongly affected genes and compounds are marked for emphasis. Chemical structures and arrows help illustrate how different compounds are produced and transformed within the plant.
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM
annbot.bsky.social
Epichloë also altered root gene expression, including genes linked to key metabolic pathways. These gene changes translated into different root exudates being released, such as malate and ethylene, compounds known to shape microbial activity and nutrient cycling. (6/9)
Figure comparing plants that host the fungus Epichloë with plants that do not, focusing on two things: (A) which genes are active in the roots, and (B) which chemical compounds the roots release into the soil. The plots on the left show that plants with and without the fungus have clearly different root gene activity and root exudate profiles, meaning the fungus changes how roots function and interact with their environment. The coloured points illustrate whether specific genes or root-released compounds increased, decreased, or stayed the same when the fungus was present, highlighting which changes were strongest and most consistent. The panels on the right summarize the main biological processes affected by the fungus, such as metabolism and energy-related pathways. Larger circles indicate pathways with more changes, while colour intensity reflects how strong and statistically robust those changes are. Together, the figure shows that the presence of Epichloë leads to widespread and coordinated changes in root biology, influencing both gene activity inside the plant and the chemicals released into the surrounding soil.
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM
annbot.bsky.social
The results? Epichloë changes soil chemistry. Nutrients and enzyme activities (like organic carbon and β-glucosidase) shifted, especially in the rhizosphere, the soil closest to roots. (5/9)
Figure comparing nutrient levels in soils associated with plants that host the fungus Epichloë and plants that do not. Measurements were taken from two soil zones: bulk soil (farther from roots) and the rhizosphere (the soil directly surrounding the roots). The results show that both the presence of the fungus and the type of soil zone influence how nutrients are distributed in the soil. In several cases, nutrient concentrations differ more strongly in the rhizosphere, highlighting the close interaction between roots, soil, and the fungal partner. Symbols and letters indicate where these differences are statistically meaningful, while the bars show average nutrient levels across multiple samples, with variation among plants indicated by error bars. Overall, the figure illustrates that a fungus living in plant leaves can indirectly shape the nutrient environment in the soil, especially in the soil closest to the roots.
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM
annbot.bsky.social
Meet Epichloë, a fungal endophyte that lives in plant leaves. It’s known to influence plant performance, but its effects belowground have been a black box. Can a foliar endophyte change root genes, root exudates, and soil biochemistry, & are these processes linked? (3/9)
Hyphae of Epichloë gansuensis recorded by the authors from leaf sheaths of Achnatherum inebrians plant in this study.
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🎉 Great news! The paper ‘Foliar Epichloë fungal endophytes affect soil biochemistry via changes in the expression of root genes and exudates within their host plants’ in @annbot.bsky.social by Xiumei Nie and co-authors is now #free for 2 weeks 🧵(1/9)

👉 doi.org/qnp5

@dabastia.bsky.social
Foliar Epichloë fungal endophytes affect soil biochemistry via changes in the expression of root genes and exudates within their host plants
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🌾 Case studies in crops like garlic, pakchoi, and cotton show how SynComs can:
• Improve nutrient uptake
• Activate plant defenses
• Enhance soil biota to suppress disease (5/8)
Cotton, pakchoi and garlic crops. Credits: Canva.
January 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🌱 But design is only half the story. The authors also discuss how SynComs can be delivered in the field, including:
• Seed coatings
• Foliar sprays
• Encapsulated soil amendments, helping translate lab precision into real-world farming. (4/8)
Overview of how high-throughput omics integrates with synthetic microbial communities design. Metagenomics ad metabolomics, coupled with computational modeling guide the two complimentary frameworks: top-down (simplifying natural microbiomes) and bottom-up, (assembled defined strains through functional screening). Properly design and applied, the resulting consortia can enhance growth, pathogen suppression and abiotic stress resistance.
January 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🔬 This review explores how SynComs are designed, combining:
• Top-down & bottom-up strategies
• Strain selection and high-throughput culturing
• Multi-omics, metabolic modeling & adaptive evolution
to build functional, balanced microbial networks. (3/8)
Conceptual outline representing the top-down (Left) and bottom-up approach (Right) for developing constructed microbial communities to enhance resilient crops. The top-down concept simplifies natural microbiomes through keystone-taxa isolation and validation, whereas the bottom-up design builds communities through strain discovery, genetic modification, and iterative predictive modeling.
January 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
annbot.bsky.social
🦠🌱 Join us to learn about the newly published “High throughput design of defined microbial consortia for crop protection” in @annbot.bsky.social by Temitope Ruth Folorunso and co-authors. (1/10)

👉 doi.org/qm7h

#SynComs #SustainableAgriculture #PlantMicrobiome #AoBpapers
High throughput design of defined microbial consortia for crop protection
January 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
annbot.bsky.social
And the seeds?
Seeds from burned trees were:
⚖️ Lighter
❌ ~20% less viable
🧪 Lower in lipid and carbon reserves (7/9)
Figure showing germination rate (A) and viability (B) of Caryocar brasiliense seeds produced during the 30 first reproductive cycle following a prescribed burn in cerrado sensu stricto at the end of the 2021 31 dry season in Brasília National Park, DF, Brazil. Seeds were collected from individuals in 32 unburned (blue) and burned (orange) plots. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference 33 between treatments (p<0.05). The y-axis scales differ between panels.
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
Reproduction took an even bigger hit.
❌ Trees stopped flowering and fruiting for two reproductive cycles
⏳ Reproduction resumed only after ~25–27 months, and at lower levels. (6/9)
Figure showing phenophase intensities for mature leaves (A), open flowers (B), and mature fruits (C) of Caryocar brasiliense individuals in unburned (blue) and burned (orange) plots within cerrado sensu stricto at Brasília National Park, DF, Brazil. The burned plot was affected by a fire at the end of the 2021 dry season. A vertical dotted line marks the month of the fire event in all panels. Light shading denotes the rainy season. Adapted Fournier intensities range from 0% (absence of the phenophase) to 100% (full presence). Y-axis scales are as follows: A, 0–100%; B, 0–40%; C, 27 0–30%
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
Recovery was slow. Even after 30 months, tree structure showed minimal regrowth, suggesting long-lasting impacts of a single fire. (5/9)
Basal resprout flower
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
Survival was high (95%), but fire caused major damage:
🔥 52% of trees lost their entire canopy (topkill)
🌿 Crown area dropped by 56%
🌿 Branch number fell by 28% (4/9)
Figure with 4 panels showing the distribution of stem height (A), stem diameter (B), number of branches (C), and crown area (D) before and two years after burning for individuals of Caryocar brasiliensis (N=40) in unburned and burned plots within cerrado sensu stricto at Brasília National Park, DF, Brazil. The burn event occurred at the end of the 2021 dry season. White dots represent the mean of each sample. Letters denote significant differences between plots and periods (p<0.05). Note the variation in the y-axis scale.
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
Researchers studied Caryocar brasiliense, a keystone tree species of the Brazilian Cerrado, comparing burned vs unburned areas over 30 months. (3/9)
Figure showing the location of Brasília National Park and the experimental plots (A); Vegetative and 6 reproductive phases of Caryocar brasiliense (B); plots with and without burning (C).
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
Fire is a defining force in savannas worldwide. Many trees survive fires by resprouting, but what happens to their reproductive capacity and seed quality afterward? (2/9)
Caryocar brasiliense
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
🎉 Great news! The paper ‘Single fire events impose lasting reproductive costs in savanna trees’ in @annbot.bsky.social by Marcelle de Castro Cavalheiro and co-authors is now #free for 2 weeks 🧵(1/9)

👉 doi.org/qmgq

#PlantEcology #FireEcology #SeedBiology #Cerrado #PlantScience
Single fire events impose lasting reproductive costs in savanna trees
January 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
annbot.bsky.social
🆕 The new issue of @annbot.bsky.social is now online!

🌿 Plant anatomy & functional traits
🧬 Phylogenetics & lineage diversification
🌸 Floral development & pollination
🌍 Environmental stress, climate extremes & adaptation
🧪 Genomics & gene regulation

New issue 👉 botany.fyi/pa45hq

#PlantScience
The cover image shows Tecticornia crotalus, which is an Australian endemic halophyte named after the rattlesnake genus Crotalus, due to the terminal, spike-like inflorescences resembling its iconic rattle-like tail. This low-lying halophyte also has leafless, glossy green vegetative articles tinged with orange. Because of its restricted distribution, narrow habitat niche, and increasing threats from climate-driven hydrological changes and proposed mining infrastructure, this species may be at risk of extinction, despite having been discovered only recently. [See Žerdoner Čalasan et al., pp. 247–266.]
January 13, 2026 at 11:32 AM