The diverse aspects of hypoxia. The size of the oxygen bubble correlates with concentration. This collection highlights the importance of hypoxia for plant development and environmental adaptation such as during flooding, in compacted or poorly aerated soils, high altitudes, and within meristematic tissues. Image credit: Moe Abbas.

The cover image features a confocal micrograph of BODIPY-stained lipid droplets (LDs) in a castor seed (Ricinus communis), the source of valuable castor oil. Lipid droplets (LDs) are evolutionarily conserved cell organelles that store neutral lipids in the aqueous cell environment and are involved in numerous physiological processes during plant development and adaptation to environmental stresses. Cai and Horn (https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiae533) reviewed critical advances in identifying plant LD proteins, highlighted the structural features of key LD proteins that contribute to their localization and conserved (or divergent) functions across organisms, and discussed future perspectives on bridging our knowledge gaps in plant LD biology. Image credit: Yingqi Cai, University of North Texas.

A typical rice mads6-5 jag double mutant spikelet
MADS6, and JAG synergistically determine floral organ development in rice. A fully developed mads6-5 jag double mutant spikelet appears as a large bouquet composed of numerous multi-floral complexes, containing hundreds of floret-like organs. See Cai et al, https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf076
Image credit: Yuanlin Duan

A tuberizing potato (Solanum tuberosom) plant with an exposed root system revealing roots, stolons and tubers. See Zagorščak et al, https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf126
Image credit: Joe Earle