Andy Norris. Dario Sanches

Transcription

1 Andy Norris Hardy fuchsia Dario Sanches Hummingbird

2 Comet orchid Morgan s sphinx moth

3 Dan Mullen Common blue violet Dan Mullen Common blue violet

4 Wild celery Water

5 Sumatran corpse flower Carrion beetle

6 African baobab Rousette fruit bat

7 Eran Finkle Canada goldenrod Honey bee

8 Hint: Its pollinator has a long beak that it uses to drink nectar. Hint: This plant attracts insects looking for food in stinky places that most other pollinators avoid. Hint: This resource spreads pollen from a plant that grows in aquatic environments. Hint: Its pollinator flies from plant to plant collecting nectar and pollen for food. Meanwhile, pollen from the plant sticks to the furry bodies of these tiny pollinators. Hint: This plant doesn t have extravagant colours because its pollinator uses echolocation to find it. Hint: These pollinators are attracted to the smell of flesh and look for food in stinky plants that most other pollinators avoid. Hint: These plants are pollinated by an insect with a very long tongue perfect for reaching the nectar. Hint: This pollinator has a long beak that it uses to drink nectar. Hint: This pollinator uses echolocation and scent to find plants, therefore the plant doesn t need to have extravagant colours to attract a pollinator. Hint: These flowers are able to pollinate themselves! Hint: This pollinator flies from plant to plant collecting nectar and pollen. Meanwhile, pollen from the plant sticks to its furry body. Hint: This plant is a pollinator! Hint: This plant uses one of Mother Nature s resources to help it pollinate. Hint: This insect has a very long tongue perfect for reaching nectar.

9 Answers

10 Answers Common blue violet pollinates common blue violet The common blue violet will sometimes form tiny flowers that look like buds and perform self-pollination by transferring pollen from the stamen (male part of the flower) to the stigma (female part of the flower). This allows the plant to pollinate when insect pollinators are not present. Water pollinates wild celery Wild celery grows in aquatic environments and releases little pollen boats that float on the surface of the water until they hit the sticky stigma of another plant s female flower. Hummingbird pollinates hardy fuchsia The hummingbird is drawn to the fuchsia s brightly coloured red sepals. Pollen rubs off onto the bird s head as it feeds and is then transported from flower to flower. Rousette fruit bat pollinates the African baobab These flowers had no need to evolve bright coloured petals because the fruit bat uses echolocation and scent more than sight to find food. The hanging baobab flower is perfect for the bat who prefers to hover in the air as it feeds. Morgan s sphinx moth pollinates the comet orchid When Charles Darwin studied this orchid he guessed that somewhere in the flower s native Madagascar there must exist a pollinator that has evolved a tongue (proboscis) of a similar length to the flower s nectar tube. Decades after Darwin s death, researchers discovered this rare species of sphinx moth with its exceptionally long proboscis. Honeybee pollinates Canada goldenrod The goldenrod s flowers have adapted to attract pollinators both visually and through food offerings, hence their bright yellow petals and abundant pollen and nectar. The goldenrod s pollen sticks to the bee s body, moving with it from flower to flower and leading to pollination of the plant. Carrion beetle pollinates the Sumatran corpse flower Carrion beetles will crawl into this smelly plant looking for rotting flesh on which to feed and lay their eggs. As they move around and continue their search for flesh, the beetles will disperse the plant s pollen to other stinky corpse flowers.

11 Plants & Pollinators Can you match the plant with its pollinator? Limited by mobility, plants often rely on insects or natural elements to spread their pollen to other plants and successfully reproduce. The better a plant is at taking advantage of a potential pollinator, the more successful it will be. As a result, plants have changed and evolved over time to make the most of specific types of pollinators. Animal pollinators benefit from this relationship too! From these plants, they collect food and materials to build their nests. As they do this, they inadvertently spread pollen from flower to flower. Over time, they too have changed and evolved to become better at feeding from specific plants. Coevolution happens when two or more species influence each other s evolution. We see this often in plant and pollinator pairs. Turn over cards for a hint.

12 Plants & Pollinators Can you match the plant with its pollinator? Limited by mobility, plants often rely on insects or natural elements to spread their pollen to other plants and successfully reproduce. The better a plant is at taking advantage of a potential pollinator, the more successful it will be. As a result, plants have changed and evolved over time to make the most of specific types of pollinators. Animal pollinators benefit from this relationship too! From these plants, they collect food and materials to build their nests. As they do this, they inadvertently spread pollen from flower to flower. Over time, they too have changed and evolved to become better at feeding from specific plants. Coevolution happens when two or more species influence each other s evolution. We see this often in plant and pollinator pairs. Turn over cards for a hint.