Spring
might seem far away with the onset of Autumn, but in South Africa we are
blessed with many months of warm weather, hardly have a winter season,
especially in the summer rainfall regions, and before we know it spring has
sprung and we are abuzz with the bloom and busyness of the warmer weather, and
our gardens closely resemble a vibrant market place where insects and birds
come to taste the floral wares in exchange for their pollinating services. Flowers are in abundance and the birds
and bees are busy doing what they do best of all – pollinate the plants.
Pollination of
flowers:
Eye-catching
watsonias in electric colours, pastel-coloured freesias that perfume the air
and sculpted disas with delicate petals – there is indeed a massive variety
amongst plants and flowers which all is made possible through pollination. With
the rising sunlight flowers make use of extravagant colour, scent and shape to
attract a plethora of enthusiastic little animals and insects.
During
the pollination process male pollen in transferred to the female egg cells of
another flower of the same class and the seed is then fertilized. The carrying
of pollen from flower to flower occurs through different ways and means, ranging
from something as random as the wind to a select plant and animal species.
It
is the structure and function of flowers more than anything that dictates how
pollination for individual flowers takes place – flowers which set their pollen
on the breeze produce massive clouds of fine dust that is caught in passing by
the recipient. The structure of the female – in other words the stigma, is
designed for this and is more often than not wide with a flat tip protruding
far beyond the petals. These flowers are usually numerous is quantity, small,
scentless and do not have bright colours, having no need to attract a courier –
most typical are the grasses.
The
majority of plants are insect pollinated and their dominant service providers
are beetles, bees, moths, butterflies and flies. But the most conspicuous
pollinators are birds as they fly to and from their designated flowers.
The
next time you receive a wonderful bunch of flowers,
take note that the colour and form of flowers are not haphazard but serve to attract
and guide the pollinator.
Article
sponsored by Netflorist.
