• Question: Do you have a favourite/intriguing flower/plant ?

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      Asked by ALOrona to John, Laura, Luke, Rob, Ruth on 16 Jun 2016.
      • Photo: Laura Finney

        Laura Finney answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        I think the venus fly trap is incredibly intriguing as an organism. The idea of a carnivorous plant and why they might have evolved is really interesting.
        In terms of something being pretty though I love lillies and they smell amazing!

      • Photo: Ruth Patchett

        Ruth Patchett answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        I quite like bee orchids that grow wild in some places in the UK. They have adapted so they look like a bee is already in them, this attracts bees looking for some romance and helps them to pollinate. They look really amazing and it is a fantastic example of plant evolution. http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/bee-orchid

      • Photo: John Fossey

        John Fossey answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        Feverfew
        We are growing this plant, extracting a compound called parthenolide and converting it into drug candidates for a type of cancer. this team includes our Botanic Garden, Chemistry and the Medical School.

        http://dx.doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2014.115170

      • Photo: Luke Williams

        Luke Williams answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        I don’t work with plants, but if I did I would like to work with the durian, which is a fruit eaten widely in south east asia. There are a large variety of them and they have a very very strong smell and taste. These kinds of chemicals might be interesting to investigate, and I don’t know if there are teams looking into them already.

        Away from science, I am currently growing a pair of avacado plants. Just because I thought it would be fun. Might get some fruit in about three years though, so its a long time to wait!

      • Photo: Robert Williams

        Robert Williams answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        Any plant that is carniverous – eg venus Fly Trap
        I like the elegant way it is able to suppliment its diet by trapping a nd digesting insects.

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