More Mystery Unfolded

I belong to baby boomer’s generation. When I was going to school, only elementary school is mandatory. We had to go through entrance examinations in order to be accepted to middle school, high school and college. As I can remember, we studied hard at middle school in order that we can hang on to a good high school. Once we entered high school, homework and extra study take possession of our life. We study, study and study, day and night, from early dawn to midnight. Our common goal is to get into a reputable university and that will set the path of our future career. Once you have a good career then your life is half made. This was the mainstream culture. 

Unlike high school, college education is more directional and more specific. I was a literature student and have not paid attention to science. My knowledge and common sense in botany are intimately related to what I learned in high school, and what I can remember now. I believe that I have studied everything about flowers in biology class, but I was a city girl and I have witnessed little what I learned in school. Going through so many examinations, I had all things stored in my brain and they gradually vanished throughout the years.

Now I am living in the enchanting green acre land, I so fall in love with nature and the continuous discovery has drawn me back to study botany. Last week I discovered stigma and stamen and this week I have been looking for them in all flowers that I encountered. However, some of them just do not have the mystery center that I was going after. I was growing more curious. It bugged me when my question is not answered. So I researched online and found out something interesting and I am compelled to share with you. But I am only touching the surface. I don’t intend to go in deep with  biology. I want to focus the purpose of my blog, photography.

There are so-called Perfect Flowers and Imperfect Flowers… As stated last week, stigma is the female organ of flowers. Stigma actually means only the tip end of the whole carpel which contains Stigma, Style (the slender string-like portion) and Ovary (at the base of carpel) where eggs are stored. Stamen is the part which produces pollen. Stamen is composed of two parts, a filament and anther.  Anther is the sac located at the tip end of the filament and filament is the stalk that connects to the anther and support the anther. Pollen is what attracts insects (see where the bug bites below). When the pollen is released, it falls to the area above the ovary and a new life is created.

I am showing a few images below to distinguish Perfect Flowers from Imperfect Flowers. The first group of flowers are prefect flowers while the second group of flowers are imperfect flowers.

Stigma and stamen combined is to provide plants reproductive function. Perfect flower is the flower with both in it. The flower can complete its own pollination and production process for new growth. Imperfect flower is the flower has only either stigma or stamen, and it relies on insects or wind to transport pollen from other flowers and helps the imperfect flower to perform its reproduction. 

I don’t remember if I ever learned this in school, but it is certainly intriquing. I am happy that I am catching up what I have not known or simply don’t remember. 

Group A Perfect Flowers,

Group B are imperfect flowers. I don’t know if they have only stigma or stamen, but they apparently have only one of the two. I have hard time to call this stunning red flower imperfect. Maybe that's why I am not so good at biology....