对莲花情有独钟的埃及

莲花被视为高雅、圣洁的象征。有学者考证，埃及境内的尼罗河曾是莲花的故乡。早在金字塔建造之前，尼罗河两岸富庶的土地上就长满了亭亭玉立的莲花。     

两种大家熟悉而又生疏的柔科植物

说到植物的花，那真是千变万化。世界上最大的花——大花草一生只开一朵花，花的直径可达1．4米，举世无双。要说美丽的花则不胜枚举，花中之王、富贵逼人的牡丹，“茜娟红罗挂万枝”的杜鹃花，美丽夺目，世人共赞。相比之下，桑科植物的花可说是默默无闻了，它既不美丽，也不鲜艳，多数非常小，小到以毫米计，有的花被藏在花序托内，被称为无花果。     

玉溪：兰家巨额兰花被盗警方神速破案挽回损失

5月19日凌晨3时许,云南省玉溪市兰家杨小林的“小林兰苑”被盗,犯罪嫌疑人乘雨夜盗走兰苑 10余盆精品兰花行至距杨宅数百米的玉溪某宾馆外,四名嫌犯中的三人被玉溪市红塔区公安局玉带路派出所联防队员抓获,并当场缴获其携带的全部被盗兰花。     

ABC model and floral evolution

The paper introduces the classical ABC model of floral development and thereafter ABCD, ABCDE and quartet models, and presents achievements in the studies on floral evolution such as the improved understanding on the relationship of reproductive organs between gnetophytes and angiosperms, new results in perianth evolution and identified homology of floral organs between dicots and monocots. The evo-devo studies on plant taxa at different evolutionary levels are useful to better understanding the homology of floral organs, and to clarifying the mysteries of the origin and subsequent diversification of flowers.