John's Nature Pictures john-pix.com

Plummer's Mariposa Lily


The Plummer's Mariposa Lily is a spectacular flower, I don't care what anyone says. Here you see an albino version. Those hairs are most likely grown as a deterrent to ants and other unwanted animals - those which take the nectar but don't cross-fertilize the plants. The calochortus lilies tend to have a pronounced bump on the outside of the petals, and Plummer's is one of the most pronounced. The inside of the bump is the nectary gland structure. And speaking of fertilization, this particular flower shows a difference between the six stamens. Usually they all appear the same. But this flower must be in just the stage where the three sterile stamens corresponding to the sepals have not shriveled up yet. They still appear relatively new.

Picture #451 -  copyright © 2008 by John Sherman



          

























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