Plant Image Collection

setSC-Darlingtonia_californica-15Actions

Main Information

setSC-Darlingtonia_californica-15
Title
<em>Darlingtonia californica</em>
Author
Sherwin Carlquist Santa Barbara California USA
Keywords
Darlingtonia californica
Description
Darlingtonia californica
Beetle-pollinated flowers don't have nectar, whereas flowers pollinated by bees, flies, and birds do have nectar. Darlingtonia flowers have no apparent nectar, so that would fit the beetle idea. Beetles like to eat pollen--and as you can see, Darlingtonia flowers produce lots of pollen, which the flower is shedding here from its pale yellow stamens, shown above. If beetles eat the pollen, wouldn't that be bad for pollination? No, it's a compromise. Beetle-pollinated flowers produce plenty of pollen, and beetles aren't very efficient feeders, so there always seems to be plenty of pollen left over for a beetle to carry around on its surfaces, transferring that pollen to another flower.
Publisher
Botanical Society of America
Additional data
copyright: Carlquist, BSA
license: http://images.botany.org/index.html#license
Collection
Carnivorous Plants Quick view
Botanical Name
<em>Darlingtonia californica</em>
Common Name
Cobra Lily
Location Area
Boggy habitats
Location State
Oregon/California
Location Country
USA
Categories
  • Image
  • Not a cover image

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