Scientists discovered that rose petals form their pointed tips by concentrating stress in small areas along the edges.

Plants use floral scents to attract pollinators or to repel harmful insects. Floral scents begin as oils that are produced by the petals in most plants. Because these oils evaporate easily in warm ...

They found that the pointed cusps that form at the edge of rose petals are due to a type of geometric frustration called a ...

Unlike the smooth contours of other flowers, the originally curved petals of roses end up forming polygons with straight ...