BIOL 1902 Study Guide - Papilio Cresphontes, Entomophily, Pollination
20 Jul 2012
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Document Summary
Male honeybees use the ultimate plug: their genitalia explodes during sex. Flowers are nothing more than sex machines. Flower sex organs: stamens (male) produce sperm, pistil (female) produces eggs, stigma big part of female, style long neck, ovary holds the eggs. Pollen grains are the floral equivalent of an intromittent organ. Double fertilization event is unique to plants. Problem: how do plants get the pollen grains near the eggs: grain pollen can be carried by wind. Conifer pollen is also wind-carried: disadvantage: not guaranteed. Another way to deliver: animals deliver the pollen for them - pollinators. Honeybees: pollination by insects is called entomophily. Pollen attracts some insects, such as hover flies. Pollinated by bees: poricidal pore (<39:13) Butterflies love sugar water and nectar (giant swallowtail nectaring) Nectar is held in nectaries: buttercup nectaries are small sleeves at the base of each petal, nectar is held in shallow cups in milkweeds, columbine has special nectar leaves with long spurs.
