I 'know' that cacti flower, but to 'know' is not to appreciate the flowers, which are extraordinarily beautiful. Thank you for increasing my knowledge of them.
Are they scented at all? If not, how do they attract pollinators?
The saguaro flowers don't have any particular scent to the human nose, at least in the daytime -- but they do have plenty of nectar, and attract birds and even bats as pollinators as well as insects. I think they have more scent at night; they open after sunset and fade by the following afternoon. I've seen birds on them, sticking their whole heads in and presumably getting well powdered by those lavish stamens. Many of the other cacti probably rely more on their bright colours. The bees and flies certainly don't seem to have any trouble finding them!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-21 03:34 am (UTC)Are they scented at all? If not, how do they attract pollinators?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-21 04:19 am (UTC)