Higgs Boson said:

!!! Of course you're right about sequence of flowers and seeds, but I remain baffled. I often
looked at that plant, trying to figure it out, so any flowers must have been REALLY
"insignificant".

Well, yes, flowers may be hard to spot. Grass seed-heads are actually clusters of "flowers" and
if you look at the right time you can see the stamens pretty easily and the stigmas if you look
closely.

Among broad-leafed plants, the flowers for members of the Goosefoot and Buckwheat families
are not much to look at either, and might be mistaken for seeds right from the start. Some
plants produce self-pollinated "cleistogamous" flowers which do not have petals and never open.
(Curiously enough,
some of our most colorful garden plants such as Violas and Impatiens may produce
cleistogamous flowers, especially when they are growing under stressful conditions.)

(This brings up an unrelated question which I hope to research as time permits:
Which plants have large,showy flowers and -- down the scale -- small insignificant ones. What
survival needs do each kind serve? Climate dependant, no doubt, but what else. Are there
anomalies?
Which, and why? Etc. Many questions. If anyone already has references, would be
appreciated.)

Wind pollinated plants do not need showy flowers. They just need to stick their flowers
out where they can catch the wind.

Cleistogamous flowers use less energy to produce seeds and are "good bets" for plants
that growing under hostile conditions or where pollinators are unavailable.

Showy* flowers are generally pollinated by animals (insects, birds, bats and sometimes
other small mammals).

*Showy not necessarily only to the eye, but also to the nose; some flowers with powerful scents
are not that impressive to look at, for example, mignonette (Reseda odorata).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollination


--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

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