花・植物・生き物

Fruit-like compounds outside a tubular flower, and different floral compounds inside: even within the same flower, scent varied with location, day and night, and reproductive stage. Examining color and secretions at the entrance as well reveals multiple cues that could attract flies and guide them into the flower.

A small flower growing among rocks in South Africa was supported by flies that had scarcely been known as pollinators. A dung-like odor and just a little nectar: investigating how pollen is carried reveals a complex relationship in which even an unpleasant-smelling flower attracts its partners and encourages them to stay.

A study of Alpine flowers compared the chemical diversity of their scents with the variety of insects and bacteria associated with them. It introduces a hypothesis linking the welcoming of visitors with selective microbial establishment.

The titan arum is known for its carrion-like smell. Continuous measurements during flowering showed differences in both the amount and the mixture of compounds between the first night, when pollen is received, and the next, when it is released. Calculations of changes in the air also suggest that air pollution could disrupt communication between flowers and insects.

Does the scent of queen of the night remain the same throughout the night? A 2025 study traces changes in the amounts and mixture of compounds emitted from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following morning.

A study compares volatile compounds and gene activity across flowering stages in a multi-petaled jasmine, exploring candidate contributors to its fragrance and the mechanisms behind them.

Comparing a wild rose’s petals, stamens, and pistils reveals differences in prominent scent compounds. This study also explores spatial and temporal changes through gene activity.

Does the evolution of weaker floral scent occur through the loss of scent-producing genes? A comparison of 30 Costus species suggests that flowers pollinated by hummingbirds may retain the genes while reducing their activity.

What changes when yellow lines arise in red flowers pollinated by hummingbirds? A study of two Mimulus species found changes not only in color but also in scent and shape. Bees visited yellow flowers more often, but the fit between bee and flower was still incomplete.

A study in white-flowered Hedychium examines small RNAs that regulate scent production, introducing mechanisms that connect them to plant hormones and biosynthetic enzymes.