Pollination Mechanisms Illustrations from Bastiaan Meeuse and Sean

Pollination Mechanisms Illustrations from: Bastiaan Meeuse and Sean Morris (1984). The sex life of flowers. photographs by Oxford Scientific Films drawings by Michael Woods.

Bumblebee on Gloxinia

Guidelines on Parnassia flower point to nectar reward

Double trap mechanism for pollination

Honey possum and a eucalyptus from down under

Proteas, which are among the largest flowers are pollinated by hefty pollinators

Edithcolea grandis – a carrion flower

Hydnora africana – a carrion flower with carrion beetle visitors

Heliconius is a frequent pollinator of Asclepiad flowers

Pollinia and a hawkmoth

Euglossine fly carrying a pollinia on its back in fluid of a Coryanthes flower. As it escapes, the pollinia will be left on the stigma

South African Nymphaea is deathtrap pollen receptor on first day. When flower closes at night, gynoecium is sealed and pollen is shed on subsequent days

This Orphrys sp. orchid is pollinated by a scoliid wasp

Unnatural pairing between Ophrys and horned bee

Cryptostylis orchid and ichneumenon wasp friend

Anthers and exposed stigmas of a grass

Masdevallia bella is a mimic that attracts fungus gnats

Vallisneria spirilis – eelgrass pollination, showing male and female florets

Billbergia – Queen’s tears

This relief from Mesopotamia dates back to ~I 500 B. C. provides evidence that the practice of artificial pollination is not a modern one. It depicts two divine winged creatures each holding a male date palm inflorescence over a female tree.