Animal pollinators support the production of three-quarters of the world’s food crops, and many flowers produce nectar to reward the pollinators. A new study using bumblebees has found that the sweetest nectar is not necessarily the best: too much sugar slows down the bees. The results will inform breeding efforts to make crops more attractive to pollinators, boosting yields to feed our growing global population.
An unprecedented insight into the diverse range of species on the British Isles will be made possible by Wellcome funding to the Darwin Tree of Life project.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen J Toope, kicks off a global day of action with a discussion on the University’s efforts to tackle climate change.
A new Rising Path, designed to offer a fresh perspective on Cambridge University Botanic Garden’s historic Systematic Beds, will open to the public on Saturday (September 22, 2018).
A rare mineral with potential industrial and medical applications has been discovered on alpine plants at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
Truffles are one of the world’s most expensive ingredients, and also one of the most mysterious. Now, with the help of a 170-year-old ‘living laboratory’, and a dog called Lucy, researchers hope to unearth new understanding of the secret life of these underground delicacies.
New study finds “messy” microscopic structures on petals of some flowers manipulate light to produce a blue colour effect that is easily seen by bee pollinators. Researchers say these petal grooves evolved independently multiple times across flowering plants, but produce the same result: a floral halo of blue-to-ultraviolet light.
The most in-depth species survey to date finds an “astonishing array” of plant diversity in the global botanic garden network, including 41% of all endangered species. However, researchers find a significant imbalance between tropical and temperate plants, and say even more capacity should be given to conservation, as there is “no technical reason for plant species to become extinct”.
Cambridge’s reputation as a centre of excellence for museums and culture in the UK received a vital boost today when Arts Council England (ACE) awarded University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) more than £4.8m and National Portfolio Organisation status from 2018-2022.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden is awaiting the Return of the Titan. One of the two Titan Arums held in the Garden’s collection of plants will very soon produce another huge, magnificent flower along with the noxious smell that accompanies it.
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