Plant geometry secre revealed

摘要

Researchers from the University of Leeds have discovered how plants set the angles of their branches. The mechanism is vital to elucidating the shape of plants, and explaining how some have a broader form than others. Dr Stefan Kepinski, senior lecturer in the University of Leeds' Faculty of Biological Sciences and lead author of the paper published in Current Biology said: "We began working on this after a train commute into Leeds. Looking out of the window, I was struck by the fact that the way we recognise tree and other plant species from a distance is largely informed by the angle at which their branches grow."