Plants

Courtesy of the Daily Grail, here's a short article on how tomato plants have been found to react to the presence of snail slime in soil nearby, by producing an enzyme that repels snails. The article suggests there's something of a mystery about how the plants detected the slime, as it didn't actually touch them. But perhaps not too much of a mystery, as that aspect isn't even mentioned in the abstract of the published article. Access to the full text requires payment.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...my-snails/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.100...018-4070-1

Seems to suggest purpose in nature too.  I wonder where purpose comes from?  Perhaps that's a whole different discussion though!

https://www.gardenguides.com/131281-plan...tions.html

Mycorrhizal fungi live in the soil surrounding plant roots and form close associations with those roots. Once colonized, the fungi grow and extend from the roots, drawing in water and nutrients that exist out of reach of the plant's root system. The fungus delivers water and minerals to the plant's roots, and in exchange, the plant gives the fungus sugars that it has produced from photosynthesis, which the fungus uses for energy.

Courtesy of the Daily Grail, Gizmodo has asked five scientists and philosophers whether they think plants are conscious:
https://gizmodo.com/are-plants-conscious...65668?IR=T

No prizes for guessing that it depends what you mean by consciousness ...

Read how fungi help trees communicate, organise, and share resources:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/208...d-network/

AMAZING!