Thrusty. Soapwort, Saponaria officinalis, Soapweed, Klarenbeek, Abcoude, The Netherlands
You may have wondered why often the petals of Soapweed flowers can be so reflexed, bent back towards their stem - perhaps this dry year more than before. That thrusy, unshy posture serves to demonstrate to Insects that the Flower seeks pollination. Hence the sexual organs - in the photo the purplish brown stamens with their pollen and the two white pistils - are thrust quite out of the Flower itself. It must be hard in the current drought for flowers in general to produce sufficient nectar (and even pollen) to attract insects. Recent research has demonstrated the adverse effects of drought on the production of those floral products. So possibly our Flower is trying to attract its pollinators by being so thrusty...
Thrusty. Soapwort, Saponaria officinalis, Soapweed, Klarenbeek, Abcoude, The Netherlands
You may have wondered why often the petals of Soapweed flowers can be so reflexed, bent back towards their stem - perhaps this dry year more than before. That thrusy, unshy posture serves to demonstrate to Insects that the Flower seeks pollination. Hence the sexual organs - in the photo the purplish brown stamens with their pollen and the two white pistils - are thrust quite out of the Flower itself. It must be hard in the current drought for flowers in general to produce sufficient nectar (and even pollen) to attract insects. Recent research has demonstrated the adverse effects of drought on the production of those floral products. So possibly our Flower is trying to attract its pollinators by being so thrusty...