Botanical Science

Alan Carle was hunting otherworldly fruit with fluorescent tentacles and bubbly flesh that folks back home had never even heard about, much less tasted — and he was willing to risk his life to find it.

How a tin miner living in remote Tasmania helped discover what may be the world's oldest and most mysterious clone that has excited scientists for years.

John Stanisic has one life mission — to get everyone to love snails and slugs.

Australia could hold the cure for a devastating 'citrus greening disease' that has sent orange juice prices soaring worldwide, killing crops in the United States and East and West Africa.

Fiona Murdoch describes the plant as being less than 10-centimetres tall with a red stem surrounded by a small rosette of leaves and white flowers.

Twenty years ago, scientists noticed many trees in Perth's Kings Park were dying. Now two decades of testing and research are finally paying off, and the solution could help revive trees around the world. 

The Limestone Coast in regional South Australia is well known for its magic-like ghost mushrooms, but massive fungi are sparking the curiosity of locals.

When Ian Whiting began planting trees and shrubs on his Victorian sheep farm, he didn't realise his efforts would create a valuable habitat for a diverse range of birds beyond the usual magpies and crows he saw.

A collection preserving physical specimens from Tasmania's tallest forest grove of flowering plants will help ensure opportunity for future research of the ancient giants.

In Sydney, a hidden group of gardeners tend backyards brimming with cactus varieties, consuming the produce. I tracked them down to try and understand the allure – and danger – of psychoactive plants, writes Prudence Gibson.

Two types of fungi commonly found in backyards can be used to break down one of the world's most stubborn plastics — and scientists say this discovery could be a significant step in addressing the recycling crisis.

Arid parts of outback Queensland are blooming with unique flora "surprises" that an expert says could lead to a wealth of new knowledge about plant and animal life.

At the end of an unsealed road in a remote corner of south-west Victoria stands one of the world's most diverse native Australian landscapes. But for all intents and purposes, the stretch of forest is a treasure trove forgotten to all but those who live near its border.

The Victorian teenagers grow their first crop in a habitat that mimics conditions in space, with hopes to add bush tucker to the veggie patch.

Genetic material will be embedded into Australian wheat crops as part of a $12.7 million research program to help farmers better predict when a crop will germinate and flower.

Thieves have stolen two of the rarest species of orchid in Australia, one of which numbers under 300 plants in the world.

Citizen scientists prove again how valuable they can be after researchers confirm four of the six new sundew species discovered recently were found by everyday people. 

A spontaneous detour led the group to the new species of plant, which has dozens of unique spines resembling a ladder.

They've had success with growing individual plants, but now a team of scientists is taking on a new, far more ambitious underwater project — starting with spreading baby kelp across 7,000 square metres off the Tasmanian coast.

Sexual deception and sticky tentacles are just some of the risks faced by insects in Tasmanian forests at this time of year.

They have fascinated biologists and botanists for centuries and the rise of social media has led to a flood of enthusiasts sharing images of the mesmerising plants.

When two burly blokes hustled the director of the Australian Museum down the front steps and out onto the street in 1874, it marked the end of a particularly spicy chapter of the institution's history.

Hundreds of ancient bunya pines in Southern Queensland are facing a growing threat with wet conditions spreading a soil-borne disease.

Changes in mangrove cover across Australia are driven by tidal shifts caused by the wobble of the Moon, a study suggests.

Twelve young Queenslanders have been recognised for their efforts in research, including a mathematician who codes models to help scientists understand vulnerable environments.