2H-Furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one

Yellow to Orange Brown Solid

Forest fires are actually beneficial for ecosystems, provided they don’t happen too often. After a fire, plants germinate and grow incredibly fast. 2H-Furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one, KAR2, is a compound in smoke responsible for promoting the seed germination of a wide range of plant species. The researchers named the compounds “the karrikins”, for “karrik”, an aboriginal word for smoke.