Yet new research indicates that, actually, many plants have everything they need to actively stink it up solo. With a few small modifications, a single gene that’s present in most plants and animals can turn flowers into stink factories. Image: Gunter Marx PhotographyThe scientists began their research by surveying plants in the genus Asarum, commonly known as wild gingers. “I like this paper because it actually puts what happens between plants and insects into evolutionary context,” he says. The gene in question, a form of selenium-binding protein, abbreviated SBP, has a long history among animals, plants, and bacteria.