I've been talking (and singing) about bluebonnets quite a bit this spring. I'm trying to learn as much about them as I can so I dissected a couple florets and a bluebonnet pea pod today. Let's take a closer look, shall we?
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| A single bluebonnet has many, individual "florets" like this one |
This is called a floret and a single bluebonnet is made of many of these arranged in "stacks. Some flowers are laid out in a circle (such as a dandilion) but bluebonnets have petals of very different shapes and functions.
You'll see, at left, the petal with the white spot called the banner. It looks like two petals but it's really just one with a crease through the middle. A white spot on the banner means the pollen is new; it turns magenta/purple after a few days to discourage bees from visiting this floret which has probably already been pollinated.
Below the banner petal are two petals clasped together to make a sort of cup. These are called the "wings" and, inside, is the "keel," the black structure you see protruding in the picture to the right. Normally a bee lands here and will use her weight and rear legs to push open the wing petals. You can pull it down yourself the next time you see a bluebonnet! Do it gently and you won't hurt it.
There will be some orange pollen at the tip of the keel (you can see a tiny bit in the photo). As far as I know, bluebonnets do not make nectar--bees only get pollen from bluebonnets (pollen's the primary source of protein for growing larvae back in the hive).
The keel is actually made of two flower petals that make a sheath for the stamens (which produce the pollent) and pistil (which receives the pollen and creates the seeds).
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| Keel petals, in background, pulled aside to reveal pistil & stamens |
At left, you can see what's inside the keel. Lots of orange pollen. It's produced by the anthers which are on the ends of stem-like filaments (anther + filament = stamen).
The white thing protruding out somewhat further is the pistil. The stigma is the little bulb at the end--once the pollen gets there, the flower has been officially pollinated and seeds can begin to grow!
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| Pistil, isolated. The stigma at the tip, the "stalk" is properly called the style, and the thickness at the right is the ovary, which is where the seeds will develop. |
It's early May and most of the bluebonnets are now producing seeds inside little pods--yep, bluebonnets are in the same plant family as peas.
I looked inside one of these, too, and here's what I saw:
Those are seeds inside, of course (I think the knife I was using cut the edges of the seeds inside). The outer layer is the covering and the part that will actually sprout is within. Layer upon layer upon layer!
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| I squeezed the outer covering and the actual seed came out! |
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| The seed within--looks like a cartoon quote bubble, no? |
More changes to come. I'll be keeping an eye on the bluebonnets in my neighborhood and showing you the changes in the pods and seeds. Stay tuned!!
