Family ties among talking plants

摘要

SCIENTISTS have for some time known plants communicate with each other, but new research has revealed that plants react most strongly to messages from their genetically related neighbours. When an insect bites a leaf, many plants release volatile chemicals that prime their neighbours for attack. This triggers various responses, from attracting predatory insects that eat the herbivores to making themselves less tasty. But for the sagebrush, response to these warning signals varies with relatedness.