On Thursday, March 27, 2014 5:42:07 AM UTC-7, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
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


BEAUTIFUL! I sit at your feet.

Reference: Medieval students sat at the master's feet outside under the trees.

(Matter of fact that's how Wall Street started as well g)

Leaving in your whole message -- so informative that later readers may profit.

HB