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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Plant Networks Can Send Warnings, Spread Viruses


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Strawberry plants like the one seen above are often connected to their neighbors by underground or surface stems called runners.

Researchers have now found that the plants can communicate warnings and other signals along this network the same way humans use the Internet—but this also leaves the plants vulnerable to spreading viruses.

Photograph by Altrendo nature/Getty Images