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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Why are so few foods blue?

Although blue foods exist, they're rare enough compared to other foods for food preparers to use blue plasters as a convention. The natural colour of a given food is due to pigments that have some biological origin. Is there any evolutionary reason…
J.G.
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Is there a reason why human eyesight and plants make use of the same wavelength of light?

The accepted range for the wavelengths of light that the human eye can detect is roughly between 400nm and 700nm. Is it a co-incidence that these wavelengths are identical to those in the Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) range (the…
Rory M
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Why do plants have green leaves and not red?

I know plants are green due to chlorophyll. Surely it would be more beneficial for plants to be red than green as by being green they reflect green light and do not absorb it even though green light has more energy than red light. Is there no…
Joe Clarke
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What's up with this leaf?

This cool design was "tattooed" on this leaf. I found it on the windshield of my car. What's up with it?
Jossie Calderon
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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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Why does cutting onions cause tears?​

Why does cutting onions cause tears?​ From a couple of sites, I found that it is because of sulfuric acid produced by onions. But I could not find more details. What is the biochemical pathway by which onions cause tears? Also, which compound is…
superbug
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What is it that creates that wonderful smell after a fresh rain?

I've heard that the wonderful smell of a fresh rain is actually chemicals released from the trees and grass and other plants. What is the process that allows these chemicals to be released? What are the chemicals that create that smell? How is it…
SolarLunix
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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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Do plants produce any heat?

Many plants (e.g. roses, palms) can be protected from frost during the winter if shielded with an appropriate coat that can be bought in garden shops. Do plants produce any heat that can be kept inside with these "clothes"?
jabal
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Why would a plant evolve to produce an addictive chemical?

It seems kind of anti-productive in terms of survival for a plant to produce an addictive chemical as that plant will constantly be sought after by animals that ingest it. In this instance, I'm looking for a possible general & inclusive answer here…
rhill45
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Why does a coconut have exactly three "holes"?

Why do coconuts have exactly three "holes", as seen in this picture? A theory says: As coconut is a sibling of palm, somehow long time ago, three palms were in a same husk. Based on evolution theory, it's how the coconut was born in the world with…
imwenyz
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Do trees really get a large share of their mass from the carbon in the air?

I remember hearing that trees and other plants actually obtain a large amount of their mass from the carbon floating in the air, not the ground beneath them. Does the makeup of air actually contain enough carbon to support this theory, and is a…
Elliot Bonneville
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If plants benefit from carbon dioxide, why is car traffic something bad?

This is going to sound really stupid or as a joke, but... Ever since I was a little kid, I have been confused about the following: Humans need air/oxygen to breathe in order to live. Plants/trees/bushes/flowers produce this oxygen, and are thus…
Karlin
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Can any animals photosynthesize?

Plants and animals have the following distinct properties: Plants live from solar energy by photosynthesis, they use solar energy to make sugar and oxygen out of carbon dioxide, which gives them energy. Animals live from the sugar and oxygen…
Steven Roose
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Ripening bananas artificially: What is the biological theory behind?

I am a resident of the tropical island of Sri Lanka, and we have a strange traditional method to ripen our banana harvest quickly. What we do is this: We dig a pit in earth that is enough to put the whole banana cluster in. Then, after safely laying…
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