Celebrating Plants and the Planet:

Humans have never known a time before flowers, and yet flowers can still delight and surprise us. (Can't say the same for iPods, let alone 8-tracks.)

June links at www.zooplantman.com  (NEWS/Botanical News) highlight some unexpected floral news.

·         Scientists have long noticed that the petals of some flowers have special cells shaped like little cones. They have only now recognized their function: Velcro for bees.

·         If floral fragrance is to attract pollinators, then why would a wind-pollinated plant like grapes have a fragrance? Maybe there's more to this cologne.

·         Orchids are the stars of "Weird Pollination Tricks." Now a previously unknown species has been discovered hedging its pollination bets with two strategies to attract two pollinators.

·         What is the true worth of wildlife corridors? New studies show they can do more than help species get around. (This is more about seed dispersal than flowers, so I cheated.)

·         Eight years ago wild maize species of northern Mexico were reported as having been pollinated by bioengineered crops and a controversy over such crops ensued. New studies aren't controversial, just tragic.

Now let's talk poop.  The on-line video game from the Minnesota Zoo, promoting their summer African savanna exhibit is an instant classic. Stop what you are doing and go to http://www.whopooped.org/ . You'll thank me for it (all complaints go to Lee Ehmke though).

Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and -- most importantly -- visitors! Remember, over a hundred other stories can be found in the archive section of the website.

Rob

Zoo Horticulture

Consulting & Design

Greening design teams since 1987

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