Science has discovered a completely new plant part - the ‘cantil’

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-06-16 01:00

International

Gookin, T. et al. / Company of Biologists

Arabidopsis thaliana - thale cress - is one of the most thoroughly studied plant species in the world, but it appears it still has some secrets to reveal. US scientists say they've discovered a previously unknown anatomical structure which they've called the ‘cantil’, which forms between the stem and flower-bearing stalk when flowering is delayed. The find highlights that there are still discoveries to be made even in our most studied species, the researchers say.

Media release

From: The Company of Biologists

Scientists discover unreported plant body part

A previously unreported anatomical structure named the ‘cantil’ has been described in the popular plant model, Arabidopsis thaliana. Scientists from The Pennsylvania State University, USA, reveal that the cantil forms between the stem and flower-bearing stalk when flowering is delayed. Published in the journal Development, this study highlights that there are still discoveries to be made, even in some of the most meticulously studied species, and provides new clues for understanding conditional growth in plants.

Journal/
conference: Development

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The Pennsylvania State University, USA

Funder: This research was supported by a National Science Foundation grant (MCB-1121612 to S.M.A.), with additional support from a National Science Foundation grant (MCB-1715826) and by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (R01GM126079 to S.M.A.).

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