Cleistogomous Flowers
Hey I posted this in the perennials forum but someone suggested that I post it here as well. Maybe someone will be able to explain this to me.
Everyone knows the common lawn violets. Viola papillionaceae or V. cucullata. They are the state flower of New Jersey and men with pristeen lawns hate them. One reason that they are such effective weeds is their means of reproduction.
They have normal 5 petaled flowers in spring. These have infrared landing pads for bees that direct them to the nectar source which is produced in a spur in the lower petal (disect a viola or pansy flower next spring and you will easily find the spur). When the bees pollinate the flowers and seed forms it gets shot out with a sort of spring loaded slingshot effect far and wide.
As if that wasn't enough they have a second sneaky way of pollination. later in the summer they produce cleistogomous flowers way down in the foliage and almost beneath the ground. These are enclosed flowers that never open (they may have no petals or just two petals or be made up of just closed sepals). They pollinate themselves! Interesting because most flowers have very specific means to prevent self pollination so the genes spread. I believe that these seed are dropped right at the base of the plant (which is why in spring you often see your lawn violets growing in close clumps) but they may also spit some of these far away too.
I had learned of this in school but never saw it before. When I was weeding some violets out of the border I discovered this secret reproduction method. Caught in the act!
{{gwi:433193}}
You can see on the left a flower just forming and on the right two seed pods forming. In the back you can see one that has already burst and released its seed.
Cool huh?
I am not sure how and why they evolved to do this. How does it help them? What is the benefit of self pollination when most plants try to avoid it? Does anyone know? Please let us know.
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Josh
Rosa
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