Comments on: On the Origin of Flowers

By: Jennifer Frazer

Jennifer Frazer — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 04:14:35 +0000

I think this might be what you are looking for, Barbara: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/flower/
It was a NOVA special — you should be able to watch it on the PBS web site. Hope that helps!
Jennifer

By: Barbara Collura

Barbara Collura — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 02:43:16 +0000

Dear Jennifer,

Have you heard or seen a show/video about the origin of flowers. I saw a how on TV but didn’t write the name down. It shows a place in China where all flowers were to have started. Could you help me find this video?

Thank you,

Barbara Collura

By: George Shepherd

George Shepherd — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:40:06 +0000

Jennifer, while I have to agree that 99% of the population would be surprised to learn that grasses have flowers, I’d like to register a protest about your comment that “grass flowers are boring to look at”! Have a look at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/megapicsel/3820730055/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/megapicsel/3820942240/
or even
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gjshepherd/2869610046/in/set-72157607365430226/
or
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gjshepherd/3089880924/in/set-72157607365430226/
or
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gjshepherd/3101924094/in/set-72157607365430226/
and see if you still maintain this! They’re really quite beautiful. I think it’s all a question of how closely you’re prepared to look….

By: Jennifer Frazer

Jennifer Frazer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:38:07 +0000

You are totally right about the grasses. But grass flowers are boring to look at, IMO. One day I’ll do a grass flower post, though. We’ll get all freaky wit’ tha glumes and lemmas. [makes grass gang signs] [Awkward silence] Yeah. Anyway, I think I could do a post that simply said “Grasses Have Flowers” and I’d surprise 99% of the population. Grasses have flowers? Where are they? : )

By: Psi Wavefunction

Psi Wavefunction — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:43:51 +0000

PS: The more complex flowers are actually in the boring lowly grasses et al. (monocots). In fact, these lowly boring grasses seem to be perhaps among the more complicated and convoluted of plants, both genetically and structurally! (even their stomata are complicated — they have special cells around them that open and close the stoma, as opposed to the guard cells doing this all on their own. Oh, and the only reason I know this is because I happen to work on stomata at the moment, so stop looking at me funny! =P )

For a self-proclaimed NON-plant biologist, I think I’m responding too much to plant topics… >_>

By: Psi Wavefunction

Psi Wavefunction — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:40:58 +0000

Interestingly, by overexpressing a small handful of genes you can induce floral-like organs to pop up out of leaves (Honma & Goto 2001 Nature); these genes include a family of transcription factors that's actually found all the way over in opisthokonts as well, and has been exapted for reproductive use even in the gymnosperms. These genes duplicated and diversified, allowing more 'room' for screwing around and ending up with the vast diversity of flowers we enjoy today. Actually, the genetics of floral development is kind of cool; there's a nice open access paper on the evolution of these genes (and, of course, flowers and pre-flowers) here: Chanderbali et al. 2009 PNAS (haven't had the chance to read it in detail, but has a really nice diagram, which I used in a class presentation. I insist on always putting stuff in an evolutionary perspective, especially with developmental/molecular geneticists watching =P )