I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my Passion
Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I love so
much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the biological
explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and others only
bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of flowers that only
bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom cycle
is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night (because
insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at night in the
tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle

We acquired a passion flower vine last year, but the flowers were purple
and white, not red. They lasted up to 5 days.

On the other hand, someone gave us an orchid (variety unknown). It
doesn't bloom often, but the last group of 4 blooms lasted 14 weeks.



Rev "Fragile Warrior" wrote:
I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my Passion
Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I love so
much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the biological
explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and others only
bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of flowers that only
bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom cycle
is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night (because
insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at night in the
tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle

"Rev \"Fragile Warrior\"" wrote in
:

I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my
Passion Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that
I love so much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the
biological explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days
and others only bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the
kinds of flowers that only bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom
cycle is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at
night (because insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be
out at night in the tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me
baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle



It's all about energy conservation. Blooming requires a great deal of a
plant's available energy energy which otherwise could go towards vegetative
and root growth, so over time a genus/variety will reach an equilibrium
wherein the bloom time is the absolute minimum needed for continuing
propogation of itself.

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
email:
http://beyondgardening.com/Albums

In article ,
David Bockman wrote:

"Rev \"Fragile Warrior\"" wrote in
:

I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my
Passion Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that
I love so much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the
biological explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days
and others only bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the
kinds of flowers that only bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom
cycle is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at
night (because insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be
out at night in the tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me
baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle



It's all about energy conservation. Blooming requires a great deal of a
plant's available energy energy which otherwise could go towards vegetative
and root growth, so over time a genus/variety will reach an equilibrium
wherein the bloom time is the absolute minimum needed for continuing
propogation of itself.

Don't forget that the transiency of the bloom some how reminds of our
own.

Bill

--
Garden Shade Zone 5 in a Japanese Jungle manner.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (© ) material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to
advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral,
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constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided
for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This
material is distributed without profit.

"dps" wrote in message
...
We acquired a passion flower vine last year, but the flowers were purple
and white, not red. They lasted up to 5 days.

On the other hand, someone gave us an orchid (variety unknown). It doesn't
bloom often, but the last group of 4 blooms lasted 14 weeks.


An Orchid flower will fade and die quickly once it is pollinated. Each kind
of naturally occurring orchid has a specific creature that takes care of its
fertilization process. (Usually an insect.) Charles Darwin wrote about one
orchid that he came across that there must a moth in the area with a
proboscis longer than any previously discovered, because the flower shape
requires it. Decades later, another scientist finally found the moth that
Darwin had never seen, but knew must exist. Many of our hybrids would never
be able to exist in the wild because the right insect does not exist. I have
20 some different kinds of orchids growing in my yard. The flowers on one of
them fade in just a couple of days unless the plant is brought inside. Some
local creature must be able to carry out at least part of the fertilization
process on it.



Rev "Fragile Warrior" wrote:
I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my
Passion Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I
love so much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the
biological explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and
others only bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of
flowers that only bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom
cycle is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night
(because insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at
night in the tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle

Flowers, like people would be very boring if GOD had created them all
the same.

Marv-Montezuma, IA
http://community.webshots.com/user/vmwood


Rev "Fragile Warrior" wrote:
I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my Passion
Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I love so
much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the biological
explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and others only
bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of flowers that only
bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom cycle
is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night (because
insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at night in the
tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle

10. Because the buds weren't open the day before.

9. Because they are day lilies whose genetic coding determines that.

8. Because something eats them.

7. Because there was a tornado.

6. Because the are pumpkin flowers whose genetic coding determines that.

5. Because they are the roses of Atacama whose genetic coding
determines that.

4. Because they are Sacred Datura (members of the nightshade family)
whose genetic coding determines that.

3. Because it is a cactus such as the saguaro and can't waste moisture
by staying open and whose genetic coding determines that.

2. Because it is a Blue passion flower whose genetic coding determines
that.

1. Because there was a frost that night.

Also, the vanilla plant and many others. If the species can survive
with only a one-day bloom, there is no genetic pressure to bloom longer.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Economy.

If they are pollinated the first day, they do not need to remain open.

It uses up a lot more of the plant's energy to keep the flowers open for
several days.

Most nocturnal flowers are not designed to withstand the mid-day heat.


"Rev "Fragile Warrior"" wrote in message
...
I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my Passion
Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I love so
much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the biological
explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and others only
bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of flowers that
only bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom
cycle is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night
(because insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at
night in the tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle

What a royally stupid cop-out typical bible-thumper answer.

That's not the correct answer anyway.

Flowers are adapted to their local pollinator ecology.

Its all about sex not pleasing man.


"VMWOOD" wrote in message
oups.com...
Flowers, like people would be very boring if GOD had created them all
the same.

Marv-Montezuma, IA
http://community.webshots.com/user/vmwood


Rev "Fragile Warrior" wrote:
I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my
Passion
Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I love so
much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the biological
explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and others only
bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of flowers that
only
bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of
fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom
cycle
is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night
(because
insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at night in the
tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please!
Thx,
Giselle

"MICHAEL LYONS" wrote in
news
Charles Darwin
wrote about one orchid that he came across that there must a moth in
the area with a proboscis longer than any previously discovered,
because the flower shape requires it. Decades later, another scientist
finally found the moth that Darwin had never seen, but knew must
exist.


For anybody interested, this was shown on the Nature three part series Deep
Jungle, episode 1, New Frontiers. Basicly just the blurb about Darwin and
a the guy hunting down the orchid and staying up all night with a camera.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/deepjungle/index.html

I have to roll my eyes at this series, though. PBS trying to be hip. @-|

"Stephen Henning" wrote in message news
10. Because the buds weren't open the day before.

9. Because they are day lilies whose genetic coding determines that.


Yes, but why?


8. Because something eats them.

7. Because there was a tornado.

6. Because the are pumpkin flowers whose genetic coding determines that.

5. Because they are the roses of Atacama whose genetic coding
determines that.

4. Because they are Sacred Datura (members of the nightshade family)
whose genetic coding determines that.

3. Because it is a cactus such as the saguaro and can't waste moisture
by staying open and whose genetic coding determines that.

2. Because it is a Blue passion flower whose genetic coding determines
that.

1. Because there was a frost that night.

Also, the vanilla plant and many others. If the species can survive
with only a one-day bloom, there is no genetic pressure to bloom longer.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Suzy O wrote:
"Stephen Henning" wrote in message
news
10. Because the buds weren't open the day before.

9. Because they are day lilies whose genetic coding determines
that.


Yes, but why?


8. Because something eats them.

7. Because there was a tornado.

6. Because the are pumpkin flowers whose genetic coding
determines that.

5. Because they are the roses of Atacama whose genetic coding
determines that.

4. Because they are Sacred Datura (members of the nightshade
family) whose genetic coding determines that.

3. Because it is a cactus such as the saguaro and can't waste
moisture by staying open and whose genetic coding determines that.

2. Because it is a Blue passion flower whose genetic coding
determines that.

1. Because there was a frost that night.

Also, the vanilla plant and many others. If the species can
survive with only a one-day bloom, there is no genetic pressure
to bloom longer.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

No HTML please.

Thank you.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5