Preamble

As many as two-thirds of the world’s 350,000 plant species are in danger of extinction in nature during the course of the 21st century. Human beings depend on plants for almost every aspect of life, and our expectations of using them to build more sustainable, healthier, and better lives in the future. [continue reading…]

• An end to rust?
• iPhones talking to the trees
• Protecting the potato
• War on willows

[continue reading…]

Posted on behalf of Lynne Sealie, CSIRO

The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and Museum Victoria (MV) are proud to announce the launch of the Australian Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). [continue reading…]

30% of US transport fuelled by plants by 2030

The man who heads up the world’s largest integrated bioenergy research institute is pretty confident the US will meet its target of producing 30 per cent of its transport fuels from plants by the year 2030. And Australia is helping them do it. [continue reading…]

Australia’s wheat crop looks to have been saved from a devastating infestation of rust—for now.

In 1999 a new strain of stem rust, a devastating fungal disease of wheat, emerged in Uganda. It has now spread to north to Yemen and Iran, and south to South Africa. Rust transport from South Africa to Australia by wind has been documented in the past. [continue reading…]

Posted on behalf of CSIRO, Ref 11/82

Willows are major environmental weeds of riverbank habitats across much of south-eastern Australia.  They obstruct water flow, increase water temperature, change water chemistry and can displace native riverine plant species.

A CSIRO project looking at the reproductive ecology and dispersal ability of the most aggressive invasive species of willows in Australia is providing urgently needed information to help land managers more efficiently control this weed. [continue reading…]

At the Botanical Congress today

• Secrets of a voodoo plant revealed – it could reshape Australian crops, and rescue African farmers from a disastrous plant parasite
• How cotton was born: a million year-old mating opens up an improved future
• Is there too much cyanide in imported cassava products?
• Sister Water Lily meets the Big Bad Banksia Man – do they hold the key to a new era in botany education?
• Why life depends on plants and what we need to do to for biodiversity and humanity – an op ed from Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus,MissouriBotanical Garden. [continue reading…]

At the Botanical Congress today

• Secrets of a voodoo plant revealed – it could reshape Australian crops, and rescue African farmers from a disastrous plant parasite
• How cotton was born: a million year-old mating opens up an improved future
• Is there too much cyanide in imported cassava products?
• Sister Water Lily meets the Big Bad Banksia Man – do they hold the key to a new era in botany education?
• Why life depends on plants and what we need to do to for biodiversity and humanity – an op ed from Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus,MissouriBotanical Garden. [continue reading…]

photo: Leo Berzins

Posted on behalf of Lynne Sealie, Communication Manager, Atlas of Living Australia. Photos available.

“The beginning of wisdom is to call a thing by its right name.” Chinese proverb

IdentifyLife is being launched at 1.00pm on Thursday 28th July at the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne. [continue reading…]