Very nice study. Do you think the green lines are now "pollen guides"? They converge on the active stamen. Very cool. Also, have you ever looked at the flowers under UV? Nectar guides often look different under UV.
Very nice study. Do you think the green lines are now "pollen guides"? They converge on the active stamen. Very cool. Also, have you ever looked at the flowers under UV? Nectar guides often look different under UV.
Actually, I neglected to point out that we suspect there is indeed nectar at the base of the staminodes; I do see insects poking around down there. Also of note, but not in the essay, is that there are actually only five staminodes on each flower (equal to the number of petals and stamens), but each staminode is like a little trident with three glassy orbs. You can actually see that in some of the images. Thanks, Walter!
Very nice study. Do you think the green lines are now "pollen guides"? They converge on the active stamen. Very cool. Also, have you ever looked at the flowers under UV? Nectar guides often look different under UV.
Actually, I neglected to point out that we suspect there is indeed nectar at the base of the staminodes; I do see insects poking around down there. Also of note, but not in the essay, is that there are actually only five staminodes on each flower (equal to the number of petals and stamens), but each staminode is like a little trident with three glassy orbs. You can actually see that in some of the images. Thanks, Walter!