How do flowers work?

Question

How do flowers work?

Answer 1

They open, attract insects so that pollen can be transfered from one flower to another, produce fruit or seed or both then then die...very basically ! !

Answer 2

Flowers show a typical insect pollination syndrome: a flower shape, a distinct colouring and fragrance as well as when the flower is open and the type of reward it offers.

Morphology, Color , Scent, Timing, & the Reward (warmth, pollen, nectar) are the variables a flowers works with to attract a specific set of pollinators and deny others access. Flowers must advertise to effective pollinators specifically.

Plants face a trade-off between attracting pollinators and remaining hidden from flower parasites (such as nectar robbers who do not pollinate and seed eaters who destroy a plants reproductive effort rather than dispersing the seed).

Color can do several things. It can offer high contrast markers to guide pollinators to the nectaries or it can differentiate the flower from the background foliage to signal mature flowers with nectar or pollen. The specific color signals to the vision of the specific pollinator. However it plays only a part as shape and scent are also important.

Many insects see in wavelengths at either end of the human visual range. Bees see into the UV but not red so bees see from yellow on through blue and beyond. Flowers bees prefer photographed in the UV spectra have guides marking the nectar location. Typically then the flower is yellow with blue or ultraviolet guides.

http://www.naturfotograf.com/UV_flowers_...

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent591k/...

http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/...

http://www.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publish_db/B...

http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/...

Flowers that usually self fertilize tend to be small, inconspicuous & unscented. They are white or green with little pollen since they are not offering a reward with it. They keep their anthers very close to their stigmas so the pollen transfers easily.

Pollen has its own scent distinct from the whole flower in some species to attract pollen foraging insects.

Yellow food guides and showy stamens may be to advertise pollen as a food source. These usually attract bees or beetles.

Bird pollinated flowers advertise to birds but not bees because the bees are to small to pick up the pollen from flowers coevolved to fit a bird’s larger size.

Birds have 4 cones for color vision and can see into the UV as can the bees but birds also see red very well that bees cannot see. So bird pollinated flowers like fuchsias, gilia, and  monkeyflower  are red.

http://www.bio.bris.ac.uk/research/visio...

http://users.mis.net/~pthrush/lighting/c...