Here’s a flower that I look for in September at Moraine State Park. Closed or Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) likes to grow in damp soil so I risk getting my feet wet when I look for it. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find it.
The petals of Bottle Gentians never open but a bumblebee can force its way into the flower at the top. In fact, bumblebees are just about the only insect who wants to – and can – collect the nectar.
It seems to me this is a lot of trouble to go to for each flower. It must be worth it.
(photo by Dianne Machesney)
A beautiful flower. I saw one at Presque Isle a few weeks ago. But the design seems less than optimal from an evolutionary standpoint, although I guess it does OK. One of the flowers I saw had a hole in the side. I think I read that some insects will chew through the flower since that’s the only way they can get in.