India, March 28 -- What else can a flower be?

In cutting-edge labs around the world, scientists are turning petals into power sources, tiny blooms into space snacks, and daffodils into climate warriors.

The aquatic space snack

Watermeal, the tiniest flowering plant in the world, could potentially power breakfast (as well as lunch, dinner, and tea-time snacks) for future space travellers.

This plant grows to full capacity in 24 to 36 hours. It is high in protein, vitamins and antioxidants. Each bloom is a little smaller than a grain of green gram.

Because the plant grows so fast, it absorbs more carbon dioxide and releases vast quantities of oxygen (relative to its size). In this way, it could help clear the air on voyaging vessels to...