Predators can also evolve chemical adaptations that allow them to overcome chemical defenses of their prey. For example, milkweed is a poisonous plant to almost all herbivores and omnivores. Monarch butterflies and caterpillars, however, eat only milkweed and have evolved to not be affected by the...
know that some plants that have taproots may prosper in clay soils while other taprooted plants may not. Taproots have straight tapering roots that grow directly downward into the ground. Plants that have deep taproots that can be successfully grown in clay soil include butterfly milkweed (...
Classification of fruits structure major typesone carpeltwo or more carpels dry dehiscentfollicle—at maturity, the carpel splits down one side, usually the ventral suture; milkweed, columbine, peony, larkspur, marsh marigoldcapsule—from compound ovary, seeds shed in various ways—e.g., through...
which are covered by hairlike structures, against the leaf. Larvae ofmonarch butterflies(Danaus plexippus) rely on a system of defense associated with their unique ability to feed onmilkweedplants (Asclepias). These plants producecompoundsknown ascardenolides, which are normally toxic to animals. ...
Examples:butterfly bush(genusBuddleja),milkweed(genusAsclepias), andverbena(generaVerbenaandGlandularia), and many members of theasterandorchidfamilies. (Read Britannica’s essay “What’s the Difference Between Moths and Butterflies?”) Moth pollinationA white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) in ...
have been collected by airplanes over the Pacific as much as 3,100 km (about 1,900 miles) from land. Plants regularly spread their seeds and spores by the action of the wind and water, often with morphologicaladaptationsto increase their potential range, as in the case of milkweed seeds....
Anemochorous seedsThe plumed seeds of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) are dispersed by the wind.(more) Many fruits form plumes, some derived from persisting and ultimately hairy styles, as in the clematis, avens, and anemones; some from the perianth, as in the sedge family (Cyperaceae)...
“Plants on Fire”Melissa Petruzzello of Encyclopædia Britannica and Emily Booth of Temple University discuss the effects of fire on plants and how climate change may alter the impacts of fire on plant communities. This is the second installment of theBotanize!podcast series. ...