By Catherine Potenski, Executive Editor of BMC Plant Biology

2014 was a great year for BMC Plant Biology, and what better way to celebrate than with some beautiful pictures? Highlighted here are twelve of the most stunning images from BMC Plant Biologyarticles published this year. We hope that you enjoy them and we look forward to many more great plant images in 2015!

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Chloroplasts in mutant moss

Miyagishima S, Kabeya Y, Sugita C, Sugita M, Fujiwara T. DipM is required for peptidoglycan hydrolysis during chloroplast division.

Sugar beet tap-root storage tissue

Turesson H, Andersson M, Marttila S, Thulin I, Hofvander P. Starch biosynthetic genes and enzymes are expressed and active in the absence of starch accumulation in sugar beet tap-root.

Tea plant with young fruit

Zhao DW, Yang JB, Yang SX, Kato K, Luo JP. Genetic diversity and domestication origin of tea plant Camellia taliensis(Theaceae) as revealed by microsatellite markers.

Arabidopsis root section under UV light

Chávez Montes RA, Coello G, González-Aguilera KL, Marsch-Martínez N, de Folter S, Alvarez-Buylla ER.ARACNe-based inference, using curated microarray data, ofArabidopsis thaliana root transcriptional regulatory networks.

Spray cut chrysanthemum “Kingfisher”

Wang XG, Wang HB, Chen FD, Jiang JF, Fang WM, Liao Y, Teng NJ. Factors affecting quantity of pollen dispersal of spray cut chrysanthemum(Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Scanning electron micrograph of tomato ovary

Daminato M, Masiero S, Resentini F, Lovisetto A, Casadoro G. Characterization of TM8, a MADS-box gene expressed in tomato flowers.

Stylar transmitting tissue of apple pistil

Losada JM, Herrero M.Glycoprotein composition along the pistil of Malus xdomestica and the modulation of pollen tube growth.

Cross section of anthers showing gene activity

Xu Y, Iacuone S, Li S, Parish RW. MYB80 homologues in Arabidopsis, cotton and Brassica: regulation and functional conservation in tapetal and pollen development.

Arabidopsis male gametophyte

Liu M, Shi S, Zhang S, Xu P, Lai J, Liu Y, Yuan D, Wang Y, Du J, Yang C. SUMO E3 ligase AtMMS21 is required for normal meiosis and gametophyte development in Arabidopsis.

Nicotiana leaf cells

Zhang H, Yang B, Liu WZ, Li H, Wang L, Wang B, Deng M, Liang W, Deyholos MK, Jiang YQ. Identification and characterization of CBL and CIPK gene families in canola (Brassica napus L.).

Pericycle-differentiated cells in Arabidopsis roots

Zúñiga-Sánchez E, Soriano D, Martínez-Barajas E, Orozco-Segovia A, Gamboa-deBuen A. BIIDXI, the At4g32460DUF642 gene, is involved in pectin methyl esterase regulation during Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination and plant development.

Eucalyptus secondary cell wall

Camargo E, Nascimento L, Soler M, Salazar M, Lepikson-Neto J, Marques W, Alves A, Teixeira P, Mieczkowski P, Carazzolle M, Martinez Y, Deckmann A, Rodrigues J, Grima-Pettenati J, Pereira G.Contrasting nitrogen fertilization treatments impact xylem gene expression and secondary cell wall lignification in Eucalyptus