Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Amaryllidaceae => Topic started by: Alessandro.marinello on November 12, 2010, 01:26:33 PM

Title: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Alessandro.marinello on November 12, 2010, 01:26:33 PM: this week in flower, Eucrosia eucrosioides :D
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Gail on November 12, 2010, 05:10:31 PM: Amazing flower Alessandro - it looks as though something must have nibbled off the petals.
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: mark smyth on November 12, 2010, 06:09:24 PM: why would it need such long male and female parts?!
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Maggi Young on November 12, 2010, 06:28:34 PM: Quote from: mark smyth on November 12, 2010, 06:09:24 PM
why would it need such long male and female parts?!
To attract short sighted pollinators... they can't see it but they bump into it??!!! ;D
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Alessandro.marinello on November 12, 2010, 07:38:59 PM: ;D Mark and Maggy
the pollinators of the Eucrosia they are the butterflies, but to single report of hummingbird visitation is recorded for E.eucrosioides, revealed who here attends .....
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Ezeiza on November 12, 2010, 07:45:25 PM: Mark, the anthers are at the exact distance for the hummingbird to rub its forehead against the pollen while collecting nectar at the tip of its beak.
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Maggi Young on November 12, 2010, 10:07:36 PM: Wonderful, so there is bumping involved... but for Humming birds..... wonderful.
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: arillady on November 13, 2010, 09:18:31 AM: Maggie you are quick. What are butterfly eyes like for distance I wonder?
Wonderful flowers.
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: jshields on November 19, 2010, 02:24:04 PM: Very curious looking flowers! I'll go with hummingbird as pollinator, but a very specific sized hummingbird, I'd bet. Where is Eucrosia eucrosioides native? Are you getting any seeds, Alessandro?
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Ezeiza on November 19, 2010, 05:18:26 PM: Jim, the Andes have many species of hummingbirds, some as small as a fly but some are really large birds. We associate them with tropical plants but a good number are montane.
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Lori S. on November 19, 2010, 07:23:00 PM: Quote from: Ezeiza on November 19, 2010, 05:18:26 PM
Jim, the Andes have many species of hummingbirds, some as small as a fly

Here's the world's smallest bird (and smallest hummer) - 2" long:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/World-039-s-Smallest-Bird-81742.shtml

Just curious... are there immense flies in the Andes? :o
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Ezeiza on November 19, 2010, 07:27:45 PM: We have three species here in the Garden that are 2" long, Lori. Just average for a hummingbird. These are by no means the smaller species.
Title: Re: Eucrosia eucrosioides
Post by: Lori S. on November 19, 2010, 07:54:34 PM: Quote from: Ezeiza on November 19, 2010, 07:27:45 PM
We have three species here in the Garden that are 2" long, Lori. Just average for a hummingbird. These are by no means the smaller species.

I am not quite following what you said... are you saying you have 3 species of flies that are 2" long? If so, that's impressive!

If you are referring to hummingbirds, realizing that length varies by method of measurement (e.g. dead specimen, live specimen in normal posture), the average has to be greater than 2" if the smallest known species is 2"... ? What species of hummers are you referring to as being smaller yet?