Paul Simons
- Indexed articles, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 16, 2026
- Outlet visibility, for Guardian UK News
- Top 1K sites
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- Jul 15, 2026
Latest articles
Plantwatch: The insect-eating alpine plant that proves Darwin was right (opens the original)
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Study shows Saxifraga candelabrum traps and digests midges – just as the evolutionary biologist predicted back in 1875 In 1875, Charles Darwin predicted that Saxifraga candelabrum, a small alpine plant, could eat insects. Its leaves, petals and stems are smothered in tiny, sticky hairs and – just as the evolutionary biologist suspected – the sweet glue on the hairs can lure and trap midges before digesting them with an enzyme. The nitrogen from their remains is absorbed into the plant, which is
Plantwatch: The insect-eating alpine plant that proves Darwin was right - AOL (opens the original)
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In 1875, Charles Darwin predicted that Saxifraga candelabrum, a small alpine plant, could eat insects. Its leaves, petals and stems are smothered in tiny, sticky hairs and – just as the evolutionary biologist suspected – the sweet glue on the hairs can lure and trap midges before digesting them with an enzyme. The nitrogen from their remains is absorbed into the plant, which is essential for it to survive in the nutrient-poor soils of the Hengduan mountains in south-west China. The plant was als
Plantwatch: Cities make a surprising refuge for threatened UK wildflowers - AOL (opens the original)
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Wildflowers are having a rough time in the countryside, mostly from the onslaught of intensive farming with fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides and less grazing. On top of that, there are building developments, competition from invasive plant species and the climate crisis to contend with. The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last century and over half of the country’s native flowers have been in decline for 70 years. But there is a surprising refuge for wild plants – in urb
Plantwatch: Cities make a surprising refuge for threatened UK wildflowers (opens the original)
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Nooks and crannies in urban areas provide a welcome alternative to intensive farming and other rural pressures Wildflowers are having a rough time in the countryside, mostly from the onslaught of intensive farming with fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides and less grazing. On top of that, there are building developments, competition from invasive plant species and the climate crisis to contend with. The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last century and over half of the countr
Plantwatch: Beware a tasty mushroom with a powerful hallucinogen (opens the original)
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Anyone eating Lanmaoa asiatica could have visions for days of tiny people running and jumping around Lanmaoa asiatica is a bolete mushroom, prized for its delicious taste and hugely popular in Yunnan province, China, where it is found growing in a symbiotic relationship with pine trees. But anyone eating the mushroom needs to be careful because it also gives hallucinations of lots of tiny people about 2cm tall wearing brightly coloured clothes, all jumping, running, climbing and being generally
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