The flowering shrub Tidestromia oblongifolia can still photosynthesise in 50°C (120°F) conditions Karine Prado/Carnegie Science
A flowering shrub in California’s Death Valley is one of the most heat-tolerant plants known to science and could hold clues for engineering crops that can cope with rising temperatures.
Most agricultural crops are unable to withstand temperatures above 35°C (95°F), meaning our food sources could be affected as climate change worsens.
Seung Rhee at Michigan State University and her colleagues wondered whether crops could be made more heat-resilient by incorporating traits from…
