Did you know: A report published in Science in 2006 demonstrated that dodder use airborne volatile organic compound cues to locate their host plants? @JoC@lavateraguy@Amadan@dejayM@mags49
When hoping to find out more about Cuscuta nitida
I found more than expected from Wikipedia: Although dodder germination can occur without a host, it has to reach a green plant quickly and is adapted to grow towards the nearby plants by following chemosensory clues. If a plant is not reached within 5 to 10 days of germination, the dodder seedling will die.
A 2-minute listen Devious Dodder Vine Sniffs Out Its Victims .
Intersting 2 minute listen, though the analogy between vampires and dodder seems a bit strange. I wondered if all Cuscuta species do thisâŠWikipedia was silent on that but the article mentions the research & has some photos of a dodder species (un named) covering trees. Iâve only seen it at Studland Heath, UK and in the Alpes where itâs often on heather.
.
The poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge read Darwinâs accounts early in their careers and, influenced by these accounts, they referred to flashing flowers in their poems, Wordsworth in âI wandered lonely as a cloudâ also called âDaffodilsâ (âThey flash upon that inward eyeâ) and Coleridge in his âLines Written At Shurton BarsâŠâ (âFlashes the golden-coloured flower / A fair electric flameâ). Thus Elizabeth Linnaeus came, through Darwin, to influence the pioneers of English Romantic poetry.
He is buried in the Swedish Sector of Brookwood Cemetery, of which Wikipedia says: ;
"Brookwood originally was accessible by rail from a special station â the London Necropolis railway station â next to Waterloo station in Central London. Trains had passenger carriages reserved for different classes and other carriages for coffins (also for different classes), and ran into the cemetery on a dedicated branch from the adjoining South West Main Line â there was a junction just to the west of Brookwood station. From there, passengers and coffins were transported by horse-drawn vehicles.
Third class coffin ticket, issued between AprilâSeptember 1925.[12]
Return tickets were issued for mourners and single tickets for the dead"
.
That seems fair enough. .
@JoC Reminder - buzz pollination
I posted this today
You should be able to see that the pollen has been released from the close up of the tips of the anthers.
What I didnât know : Pollen contains a substantial amount of protein compared to nectar, the sugary liquid the majority of plants produce as a reward for their animal pollinators. Bees eat pollen as well as make a paste with it to feed their larvae. The pollen paste is then sealed into the nest to create a reserve for the young bees,
Lots more interesting stuff following.
Buzz Pollination; what can I say - everyday iSpot throws up another amazing aspect of the natural world. This at the end of the Wikipedia link, I liked:
Alternative means of pollination
Greenhouse grown tomatoes are unproductive without aid in pollination. Traditionally, pollination has been done by shaking using electric vibrators (one brand name was âElectric Beeâ), however, it has been found to be less expensive in human labor and plant breakage to use bumblebees within the greenhouses. Home growers and amateurs can be seen on YouTube using electric toothbrushes to pollinate their flowers.[13]
No we grow tomatoes from seed, just for fun, at a window, and were/are never quite sure what we did/should do to be sure of getting fruit.
PS look out for my latest âGrassâ post (so glad that I took the pic.) linking to the voyage of the HMS Herold.
Just the one shot (apart from the view) - wondering if you can spot the broken sea-shells that make up the substrate, also the broken shells in the area of the shoreline.
