PubMed · 2026-06-13
Scientists used the water lily genome to uncover how the earliest flowering plants evolved, then applied those ancient genetic blueprints to engineer practical improvements in crops — including flood-tolerant grains and flowers with new colors and scents.
Water lily genomes preserve ancestral flowering plant traits that shed light on how the first angiosperms evolved and adapted to aquatic environments.
Ancient genetic networks from water lilies are being applied to engineer cereal crops with stolon-based lateral spread, potentially improving ground coverage and yield.
Flood-tolerance genes identified in water lilies are being introduced into terrestrial crops to help them survive waterlogging, a growing problem under shifting climate patterns.