#buzz pollination

[shinraalpha]

hi yes it's me again with another cool fact i just learned (sadly this one doesn't come with a cute spider in a shell picture). let me tell you about BUZZ POLINATION.

so this is a type of pollination that occurs in like, 9% of flowering plants and how it works is that the pollen in those flowers is very hard to release unless the pollinator (usually solitary bees or bumblebees - apparently honey bees cannot do this) vibrates at the exact right frequency to open the anther and release the pollen. isn't that rad??? it's like. a fucking resident evil puzzle or something.

and sadly i did dig i to the scientific literature and it appears the frequency is commonly between C-standard and C# - but at least that's the 2nd in the key of B so not far off.

[sb0ers]

Bumblebees can shake pollen loose from flowers by vibrating their bodies—a trick called “buzz pollination.” Basically, they sing to their food.

[el-candelabro]

Abejorros y Angiospermas: Una Alianza Vital para la Biodiversidad y la Agricultura

Abejorros y Angiospermas: Una Alianza Vital para la Biodiversidad y la Agricultura

[aaronstjames]

Buzz pollination: studying bee vibrations on flowers - Vallejo‐Marín - 2019 - New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.15666

Summary

Approximately 6% of flowering plant species possess flowers with anthers that open through small pores or slits. Extracting pollen from this type of specialised flower is achieved most efficiently by vibrating the anthers, a behaviour that has evolved repeatedly among bees. Here I provide a brief overview of the study of vibrations produced by bees and their effects on pollen release. I discuss how bee morphology and behaviour affect the mechanical properties of vibrations, and how floral traits may influence the transmission of those vibrations from the bee to the anther, thus mediating pollen release, and ultimately bee and plant fitness. I suggest that understanding the evolution of buzz pollination requires a study of the biomechanics of bee vibrations and their transmission on flowers.

[botanytoo]

What! Plants can hear water???

What! Plants can hear water???

Traditionally, humans have five main senses – hearing, touch, taste, smell, and sight. Ever-curious about the senses of other organisms, there has been much ‘debate’ amongst human beings about the sensory capabilities of plants. Although we don’t have the space to go into in-depth analysis of this subject here, we are happy to add to the discussion by alerting readers to Monica Gagliano et al’s…

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[wildlifeecogardens-blog]

Plant of the Week - Papaver orientale (Oriental Poppy)

Plant of the Week – Papaver orientale (Oriental Poppy)

Papaver orientale

This week we’re taking a look into the world of Poppies, particularly Papaver orientale, commonly known as the Oriental Poppy, which is a herbaceous perennial. These gorgeous flowers are a sight to behold when their petals unfurl, but I find them to be a great plant of interest throughout the growing season. From fluffy flower buds, to large beautiful flowers, followed by…

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[botanytoo]

Diversity and constraints in the floral morphological evolution of Leandra s.str. Processes related to floral diversification and the relation of floral diversification to speciation are largely unaccounted for in the Melastomataceae.