Our research and teaching are deeply rooted in organismal biology, i.e. the study of structure, function, and evolution at the level of the organism. We focus on questions of plant diversity – How have key structural features such as the angiosperm flower evolved? How is morphological diversity distributed among taxa? How are different structural features correlated with one another? Why are certain morphologies common and have evolved repeatedly while others are rare? We address these and related questions across a broad range of taxa and apply state-of-the art techniques as well as novel theoretical approaches to answer them.
News
- Press release University of Vienna:
Bumble bees pollinated linden flowers already 24 million years ago – 22. September 2025 - scilog-Article Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (german):
Wie Tropenpflanzen zu ihren Bestäubern finden – 18. October 2023 - Online-Article mediaportal University of Vienna (german):
ERC Starting Grant für Agnes Dellinger – 5. September 2023
Recent Publications 2023-2026
2026
Barrajon-Santos, V., Nepel, M., Sudhaus, W., Hausmann, B., Woebken, D., & Mayer, V. E. (2026). Vertically transmitted bacterivorous nematodes are consistent nest inhabitants in the Azteca-Cecropia ant-plant mutualism. Scientific Reports, 16(1), 1-12. Article 9624. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34231-9
Till, A., Ulrich, S., Cantrill, D. J., & Grimsson, F. (2026). Pollen morphology of Pseudanthus (Picrodendraceae). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 344, Article 105426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105426
Ulrich, S., Purgina, C., Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., & Grimsson, F. (2026). The use of transmission electron microscopy when investigating fossil angiosperm pollen: A review and suggestions for future applications. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 344, Article 105423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105423
Till, A., Ulrich, S., Cantrill, D. J., & Grimsson, F. (2026). Ultrastructural Analysis of Pseudanthus (Picrodendraceae) Pollen Using Transmission Electron Microscopy: Intraspecific, Interspecific, Intrafamilial, and Interfamilial Comparisons. Plants, 15(1), Article 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15010061
Helmstetter, A. J., Méndez, M., Schönenberger, J., Burgarella, C., Anderson, B., von Balthazar, M., Billiard, S., de Boer, H., Cros, J., Delecroix, P.-A., Dufay, M., Pannell, J. R., Savova Bianchi, D., Schoen, D. J., Vallejo-Marin, M., Zenil-Ferguson, R., Sauquet, H., Glémin, S., & Käfer, J. (2026). An angiosperm-wide perspective on reproductive strategies and floral traits. New Phytologist, 250(2), 1200-1216. Article nph.70894. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70894
Dellinger, A. S., Meier, L., Smith, S. D., & Sinnott-Armstrong, M. (2026). Does the abiotic environment influence the distribution of flower and fruit colors? American journal of botany, 113(1), Article e70044. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70044
Dellinger, A. S. (2026). Ecological change may be a common initiator of evolutionary pollinator shifts. New Phytologist, n/a(n/a), Article 71170. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71170
Hawranek, A.-S., von Balthazar, M., Chartier, M., & Schönenberger, J. (2026). Floral syndromes in Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) are associated with nectar- but not pollen-collecting pollinators. Annals of Botany, 137(5), 1305-1320. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaf333
Sinnott-Armstrong, M., Maier, L., Smith, S. D., & Dellinger, A. S. (2026). Flower clades and fruit clades: Trade-offs in color diversification across angiosperms. American journal of botany, 113(1), Article e70146. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70146
Artuso, S., Gamisch, A., Staedler, Y. M., Schönenberger, J., & Comes, H. P. (2026). Phylogenetic constraints, conservatism, and convergence shape three-dimensional variation in flower morphology of a tropical orchid radiation. The Plant Journal, 126(3), Article e70883. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70883
Lazarus, B. S., Wieser, V. C., Fieber, B., & Dellinger, A. S. (2026). Pollen counting made easy: mobile pollen counter provides real-time results in the field. Journal of Experimental Botany, Article erag047. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag047
Pedersoli, G. D., Teixeira, S. P., Leme, F. M., Lachmayer, M., von Balthazar, M., & Schönenberger, J. (2026). Rethinking floral reference models in Rosales: an ontogenic analysis of flower structure in Elaeagnaceae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Article boag037. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boag037
Wu, X., von Balthazar, M., Grimsson, F., Ulrich, S., López-Martínez, A. M., Heřmanová, Z., Kvaček, J., & Schönenberger, J. (2026). Trimerous magnoliid flowers with a unique set of floral and pollen traits from the Late Cretaceous of Southern Bohemia (Czech Republic). New Phytologist, n/a(n/a), Article 71310. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71310
2025
Pedersoli, G. D., Teixeira, S. P., Leme, F. M., von Balthazar-Schönenberger, A. M. L., & Schönenberger, J. (2025). First report of glandular staminodes in flowers of Elaeagnaceae (Rosales). Revista del Jardín Botánico Nacional, 46(1), Article 12275. https://revistas.uh.cu/rjbn/article/view/12275
Geier, C., Engel, M. S., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Schönenberger, J., Uhl, D., Wappler, T., Wedmann, S., Boudet, L., & Grimsson, F. (2025). 24 million years of pollination interaction between European linden flowers and bumble bees. New Phytologist, 248(4), 2111-2127. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70531
Pan, A. D., Jacobs, B. F., Currano, E. D., Gostel, M. R., Lowry, II, P. P., Plunkett, G. M., Hoffmann, J., Geier, C., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Fossil Astropanax Seem. (Araliaceae) from the early Miocene (21.73 Mya) Mush Valley plant assemblages of Ethiopia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 209(3), 280-302. Article boaf011. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boaf011
Malailkanok, P., Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., Grote, P. J., Denk, T., & Phuphumirat, W. (2025). Marked Ericales diversity in late Oligocene–Early Miocene palynofloras from northern Thailand suggests stratified mountain forests. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 63(6), 1458-1480. Article jse.70010. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.70010
Dirr, L., Bastl, K., Bastl, M., Berger, U. E., Bouchal, J. M., Kofol Seliger, A., Magyar, D., Ščevková, J., Szigeti, T., & Grimsson, F. (2025). The Ragweed Finder: A Citizen-Science Project to Inform Pollen Allergy Sufferers About Ambrosia artemisiifolia Populations in Austria. Applied Sciences, 15(22), Article 12333. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152212333
Huss, J. C., Box, F., Zhang, Q., Grömmer, M. A., Antreich, S. J., Ovee, T. A., Louf, J.-F., Schönenberger, J., Williams, D. G., Gierlinger, N., Liu, M., & Hultine, K. R. (2025). Humidity-driven shape morphing enhances fog harvesting in porous cactus spines. bioRxiv Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.07.676731
Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Wilde, V., Lenz, O. K., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Qualitative LM and SEM study of the Messel palynoflora: Part II. Fabales to Caryophyllales. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 341, Article 105349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105349
Kopper, C., Schönenberger, J., & Dellinger, A. S. (2025). Mountain colonization precedes shifts away from bee pollination in Melastomataceae. New Phytologist, 247(3), 1474-1492. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70273
Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Bouchal, J. M., Zetter, R., Ngô Muller, V., Jacobs, B. F., Uhl, D., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Morphology and ultrastructure of Tilioideae pollen: how to differentiate Craigia, Mortoniodendron, and Tilia. Botanical studies, 66(1), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-025-00463-1
Vieira, M., Jolley, D., Zetter, R., Mahdi, S., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Enhancing dinoflagellate cyst classification through combined LM and SEM analysis: A reassessment of Spiniferites magnificus and Fibradinium annetorpense. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 336, Article 105300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105300
Lazarus, B. S., & Dellinger, A. S. (2025). Wilting may leave bees wanting: drops in turgor pressure may reduce viability of buzz-pollinated flowers. Journal of Experimental Botany, 76(6), 1486-1490. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf061
Emelianova, K., Hawranek, A.-S., Eriksson, M. C., Wolfe, T. M., & Paun, O. (2025). Ecological divergence of sibling allopolyploid marsh orchids is associated with species specific plasticity and distinct fungal communities. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology, 121(4), Article e70001. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70001
von Balthazar, M., Lachmayer, M., Hawranek, A.-S., Kopper, C., Schönenberger, J., & Chartier, M. (2025). Pollination and reproductive systems in columbines (Aquilegia, Ranunculaceae) - Review and insights. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 186(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1086/733070
Chartier, M., Kopper, C., Münch, M., Messinger Carril, O., Díaz-Infante, S., Lachmayer, M., Ulrich, S., Wilson, J. S., Schönenberger, J., & von Balthazar, M. (2025). Pollination biology and secondary pollinators in seven North American Aquilegia species. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 186(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1086/733068
Wang, M. Z., Belmonte-Lopes, R., Pan, T., Ahmed, S. A., Rodrigues Lustosa, B. P., Quan, Y., Al-Hatmi, A. M. S., Mayer, V., Voglmayr, H., Grisolia, M. E., de Souza Lima, B. B. J. F., Vicente, V. A., Zhou, S. Q., Cao, Y., Kang, Y. Q., & de Hoog, G. S. (2025). A new family of ant-associated fungi in Chaetothyriales. STUDIES IN MYCOLOGY, 110(1), 111-144. https://doi.org/10.3114/sim.2024.110.02
Dellinger, A. S., Gwardiak, K., Kerber, A., Wieser, V. C., & Pérez-Arroyo, K. D. (2025). Co-flowering with congeners does not affect buzz-pollinator specialization and pollination performance in Rhexia mariana, but does affect floral trait variance. American journal of botany, 112(11), Article e70119. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70119
Heřmanová, Z., von Balthazar, M., Kvaček, J., & Schönenberger, J. (2025). Felinanthus: A New Normapolles Genus from the Late Cretaceous of Central Europe. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 186(1), 53-67. https://doi.org/10.1086/732627