Tag: roots
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A botanical conundrum solved (sort of…)
The post follows-up on a previous post that considered how much of the plant’s photosynthesis is used in root mucilage production. In particular it discusses the challenges in verifying % claims from Wikipedia and McNear Jr. Mr P Cuttings emphasises careful source citation and acknowledges that the puzzle remains unresolved.
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A botanical conundrum: HELP, please!
The post discusses the substantial – but source-substantiated – amount of energy plants use secreting root mucilage, estimated at 10-40% of their photosynthesized carbon. Mr P Cuttings expresses scepticism about these high figures, noting lower estimates from earlier studies. To clarify this discrepancy, a full copy of Newman’s 1985 article…
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Microplastics and plants: A surprising connection
Ye Li et al. (2025) discovered that maize leaves absorb airborne microplastics (MPs) through stomata. Finding MPs in vascular tissues, they could potentially move within the plant, e.g., into developing fruits, raising concerns about human consumption. Additionally, MPs were found in leaves of several other human food plants, indicating an…
Plant Cuttings 