The flowers they enchant us mainly for their vibrant colors and unique perfume. But have you ever wondered if these characteristics have any importance for the survival of plants?How about finding the answer?
As we know, not all plants have flowers. Plants that have this characteristic are called Angiosperms. The presence of a flower is, without a doubt, a very important feature, as it allows for more efficient reproduction.
For an angiosperm to reproduce, it is necessary that the pollen grain is taken from the male part of the flower to the female part of another. For this to happen, a pollinator, that is, something that is capable of transporting pollen between flowers. Among the main pollinating agents, wind, water and some animals stand out.
The vibrant and fragrant flowers we talked about at the beginning of this text are mainly related to the pollination by animals. This is due to the fact that the flower acts as a form of attraction to pollinators, therefore, mechanisms are needed to guarantee the visitation of these animals.
At bees, for example, they are attracted to blue or yellow flowers and never visit red flowers. This is due to the fact that these animals see the ultraviolet. Also, they prefer flowers that smell like fermenting food.
Birds pollinate flowers with a high nectar content
The very showy flowers, on the other hand, usually attract the birds, for these have great vision. The odor of these plants, however, is not strong, since birds do not have a keen sense of smell. Another characteristic of flowers visited by birds is the large amount of nectar found in them, thus ensuring adequate food for the animal.
The flowers pollinated by butterflies they are also showy, usually red, yellow or blue. Furthermore, these flowers make their nectar accessible only to some species that have a long mouthparts.
Butterflies pollinate showy flowers
Flowers with a ripe fruit smell and little color are usually pollinated by bats. As these animals have nocturnal habits, the color of the flowers would not be a form of attraction. The flowers pollinated by beetles they are also less showy and usually white.
At flies they can also act as pollinators, and, in these cases, the flower is usually unattractive to humans, having, in most cases, the odor of dead organisms decomposing.
Each living being has a characteristic that allows its survival in a certain environment, and with plants it could not be different. Each attribute mentioned above allows the plant to reproduce efficiently and guarantee the permanence of its species on Earth.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
