At 05:25 PM 7/4/2004 -0400, David S. wrote: >On the Hawaiian island of Maui, Spathoglottis plicata is found in lots of >places on the windward side. It definitely is pollinated by something as >most plants that are flowering have several seed pods forming on them. >Here's a picture of a typical plant that someone pulled up: (URL is long and >may wrap) > >http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/images/600max/html/starr_000919_8015_spathoglottis_plicata.htm > >Also in northeast Tennessee, Bletialla striata is also found to be commonly >pollinated. I've never seen bees or butterflies on the flowers but have >noticed ants on them. Perhaps this is the pollinater?
It is possible that ants could be the pollinator...or an assistant in self-pollinating. I had an Oeceoclades maculata, which by all accounts is supposed to be self-pollinating...I had no pods on my first spike. By the time the second spike got around to opening, some small black ants had discovered the sticky drops of sap that the flowers produced in abundance (not only along the joint between the flower stem and flower, but along the outsides of the sepals and other places). I ended up with numerous ripening pods on that second spike. I have noticed something similar with Spathoglottis plicata...at a nursery, the plants that had pods had been discovered by ants...those that did not were ant-free. ---Prem www.premdesign.com
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