Thanks Pankaj for the nice illustrations and explanation. Very interesting! The 'trapping mechanism' sounds like a carefully selected adaptive feature by some of this most-advanced group of plants. It also makes me to think that they probably in the process of turning into insectivorous (?), may be in few to several thousand years. And, they already have achieved a part of that feature (insect trapping mechanism). Its hard to imagine, but who knows?!
Regards Vijayasankar ------------------------------------------------------------------- Vijayasankar Raman, Ph.D. National Center for Natural Products Research University of Mississippi On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 8:24 PM, Dr Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]>wrote: > Yes this is accidental and caused because the insect was not able to > release the anther cap and somehow went inside without doing it. > Bulbophyllum has a very peculiar trapping mechanism for pollinators. They > have motile labellum and two fang like structures on the column. As the > insect moves from the tip of labellum towards inside due to shift in weight > the labellum turns upwards and the two fangs clutches the back of insect to > hold it. At this point due to movement anther cap is supposed to fall off > releasing the pollinia on the back of insect. Once the cap and anther is > released, there is enough gap for the insect to come out after minor > struggle. > I tried to make some bad sketch sitting on office table to depict this > process. Hope it would be understandable. > Fangs are actually stelidia and the length and structure plats important > role in identification of species and it also plays important role in > deciding which insect can actually be a pollinator. > Best regards > Pankaj > > <https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DqRWU_LSgdg/U0dEUIvNk3I/AAAAAAAACCI/JxsfKPrU4Io/s1600/Bulbophyllum+pollination.jpg> > > > > > On Thursday, 10 April 2014 16:27:15 UTC+8, Dr Pankaj Kumar wrote: >> >> Dear all >> >> Please find some pics shwing pollinators on an Orchid called Bulbophyllum >> lasiochilum. I have shared few of these pics earlier too, but this time >> there are two extra images. >> >> It depicts how ferocious act of pollination can be. The pollinator got >> stuck between the column and labellum and died there itself. >> Hope you will find these interesting. >> Best regards >> Pankaj >> >> >> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qhAfAnqwuTk/U0ZVd53Ff3I/AAAAAAAACBg/RVryqV0Fr5g/s1600/POLLINATOR+%282%29.jpg> >> >> >> <https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FVfDQ-OC6eQ/U0ZVnOKL0lI/AAAAAAAACBo/IshjIsBeN0Y/s1600/POLLINATOR+%283%29.JPG> >> >> >> <https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_da3_oMOtYo/U0ZVxFuGeoI/AAAAAAAACBw/_yvgJEDpGwU/s1600/POLLINATOR+%284%29.JPG> >> >> >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
