Anomaly. Eight-petalled Crocus and a Dronefly Collecting Pollen on its Sibling
I sat back a while to watch whether any insects would come along to visit our Eight-petalled Crocus but none did. Apparently that Dronefly (inset) rather foraged for pollen on its 'normal' Six-petalled neighbor. You don't see these Eight-petallers often; Crocuses as a rule have six petals. Once in a while something in a flower's ontogenesis goes awry and this can be the result. Why that is the case is anyone's guess. Perhaps a quirk induced by a climate change. Anyone 'out there' in the know? Please tell me.
Anomaly. Eight-petalled Crocus and a Dronefly Collecting Pollen on its Sibling
I sat back a while to watch whether any insects would come along to visit our Eight-petalled Crocus but none did. Apparently that Dronefly (inset) rather foraged for pollen on its 'normal' Six-petalled neighbor. You don't see these Eight-petallers often; Crocuses as a rule have six petals. Once in a while something in a flower's ontogenesis goes awry and this can be the result. Why that is the case is anyone's guess. Perhaps a quirk induced by a climate change. Anyone 'out there' in the know? Please tell me.