No Sunbird. Chasmanthe bicolor, Cobra Lily or Suurkanolpypie, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Well... no; no Sunbird to illustrate how Chasmanthian pollination works. But I'll try to explain. At the top you can see a developing Chasmanthe bicolor flower. Lower left is the flower at its full length. At the left the lower perianthe; a Sunbird will insert its marvellously curved beak into it to access the rich pouches of nectar contained within. Meanwhile our Bird's head will have brushed the stamens (see right side of the photo, with a close-up inset right) and it will carry the gathered pollen onwards to brush it against the style (see its three 'prongs' in the right inset) of another Nectar-rich flower. Ah! the wonders of Nature!
Our Plant hails from South Africa, hence its vernacular name Suurkanolpypie. Today it can be found throughout the Tropics and Temperate Zones.
No Sunbird. Chasmanthe bicolor, Cobra Lily or Suurkanolpypie, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Well... no; no Sunbird to illustrate how Chasmanthian pollination works. But I'll try to explain. At the top you can see a developing Chasmanthe bicolor flower. Lower left is the flower at its full length. At the left the lower perianthe; a Sunbird will insert its marvellously curved beak into it to access the rich pouches of nectar contained within. Meanwhile our Bird's head will have brushed the stamens (see right side of the photo, with a close-up inset right) and it will carry the gathered pollen onwards to brush it against the style (see its three 'prongs' in the right inset) of another Nectar-rich flower. Ah! the wonders of Nature!
Our Plant hails from South Africa, hence its vernacular name Suurkanolpypie. Today it can be found throughout the Tropics and Temperate Zones.