Wednesday, 19 May 2021

With the Delicate Tang of Urine

There are currently masses of Lords and ladies (Arum maculatum) along the roadsides in Loughor. There is a useful 'plantwatch' reminder of how these plants 'kidnap' flies to do their bidding (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/may/19/plantwatch-the-ingenious-fly-trap-hiding-in-britains-hedgerows). The plant's purple, finger-like spadix is cloaked by a green leaf-like spathe. The tiny male and female flowers are actually at the base of the spadix. When the time is ripe, the spadix heats up, releasing a smell like urine. This attracts tiny rot-loving flies who get trapped in the flower 'chamber' by a ring of downward-pointing hairs. When the female flowers are pollinated and the male flowers have released their pollen, these hairs wither. This releases the now pollen-covered flies to be attracted into and fertilise another Lords and ladies plant. And it's all vegan (no actual rotting meat is involved).

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