My Studio NeighborsGibson, W. Hamilton (William Hamilton)
History
My Studio Neighbors
Gibson, W. Hamilton (William Hamilton)
Natural history; Natural history -- Outdoor books
A single blossom of the species is shown in Fig. 5, the parts indexed.
The opening to the nectary is seen just below the stigmatic surface, the
nectary itself being nearly two inches in length. The pollen is in two
club-like bodies, each hidden within a fissured pouch on either side of
the stigma, and coming to the surface at the base in their opposing
sticky discs as shown. Many of the group Habenaria or Platanthera, to
which this flower belongs, are similarly planned. But mark the
peculiarly logical association of the parts here exhibited. The nectary
implies a welcome to a tongue two inches long, and will reward none
other. This clearly shuts out the bees, butterflies, and smaller moths.
What insect, then, is here implied? The sphinx-moth again, one of the
lesser of the group. A larger individual might sip the nectar, it is
true, but its longer tongue would reach the base of the tube without
effecting the slightest contact with the pollen, which is of course the
desideratum here embodied, and which has reference to a tongue
corresponding to the length of the nectary. There are many of these
smaller sphinxes. Let us suppose one to be hovering at the blossom's
throat. Its slender capillary tongue enters the opening. Ere it can
reach the sweets the insect's head must be forced well into the throat
of the blossom, where we now observe a most remarkable special
provision, the space between the two pollen discs being exactly adjusted
to the diameter of the insect's head. What follows this entrance of the
moth is plainly pictured in the progressive series of illustrations
(Fig. 6). A represents the insect sipping; the sticky discs are brought
in contact with the moth's eyes, to which they adhere, and by which they
are withdrawn from their pouches as the moth departs (B). At this time
they are in the upright position shown at C, but in a few seconds bend
determinedly downward and slightly towards each other to the position D.
This change takes place as the moth is flitting from flower to flower.
At E we see the moth with its tongue entering the nectary of a
subsequent blossom. By the new position of the pollen clubs they are now
forced directly against the stigma (E). This surface is viscid, and as
the insect leaves the blossom retains the grains in contact (F), which
in turn withdraw others from the mass by means of the cobwebby threads
by which the pollen grains are continuously attached. At G we see the
orchid after the moth's visit--the stigma covered with pollen, and the
flower thus cross-fertilized.
[Illustration: Fig. 6]
In effecting the cross-fertilization of one of the younger flowers its
eyes are again brought into contact with this second pair of discs, and
these, with their pollen clubs, are in turn withdrawn, at length perhaps
resulting in such a plastering of the insect's eyes as might seriously
impair its vision, were it not fortunately of the compound sort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account