This lovely lily’s cousin is an ear of corn. Now, scientists know how they are related

This lovely lily’s cousin is an ear of corn. Now, scientists know how they are related

6 years ago
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http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/lovely-lily-s-cousin-ear-corn-now-scientists-know-how-they-are-related

This lily leek (Allium moly) is one of 85,000 monocots that now have a better-defined family history.

As different as they may seem, corn and daylilies have a lot in common. So do towering palm trees and diminutive lady’s slipper orchids. Thanks to a common ancestor 137 million years ago, the roots, seeds, and sometimes leaves of these flowering plants—known as monocots—look alike. Now, a new genetic study reveals why: Even though all of these plants are landlubbers today, their ancestor lived in water.