A group of Mediterranean plants is completely ignoring the rules of genetic inheritance by stealing DNA from their neighbors based on who lives next door.

Biologists usually trace the history of a species by looking at which ancestors passed down its DNA. In the Phlomis family of plants, geographic proximity is actually a better predictor of genetic similarity than family lineage. These plants frequently capture entire chloroplasts and other genetic material from unrelated species living in the same area. This creates a reticulate evolution that looks more like a messy web than a traditional family tree. This phenomenon challenges the fundamental assumption that genetic material is only passed down from parent to child in this branch of the plant world.