Plant Blasts Birds With Pollen Using “Bellows”
by Jennifer S. Holland
Here’s some explosive news from the world of pollinators: A rain forest plant baits birds with puffy treats, then blasts any takers with pollen—a unique discovery.
A few other flowering plants have bellows-like systems to release pollen, but those are activated when a pollinator’s beak or paw puts unintended pressure against the stamens, or male reproductive parts.
The new research details the first example in which birds, plucking at stamens one by one, are the only target, and the first known case in this plant family of a flower offering a food reward of this kind.
“It’s a great example of how intricate the relationships can be that have evolved between flowers and their pollinators,” said Jürg Schönenberger of Austria’s University of Vienna, who co-authored a study on the subject published July 3 in the journal Current Biology.
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http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/03/plants-pollination-animals-science-environment-weird-rainforest/
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And I love science but you know that. 
I'd eat one.
--imm
