Leucospermum, how the pollen presenters work

These Leucospermum florets in bud and open stages divulge some of the intimate floral features of the genus, also shared widely in the Proteaceae family. Although the Leucospermum species in picture wasn’t identified, the details on show merit inspection.

There are half-closed buds in picture with elongating styles pushing out of their perianths, exposing their curved, cylindrical midsections. At the top they are still clasped firmly by greyish, hairy perianth tips not yet ready to budge.

Then there are freed orange styles, straightened or straightening after victory over perianth control. Their pollen presenter tips are brown from the smeared off new pollen received as last touch gifts upon parting from their perianth tip anthers. This pollen awaits being served to passersby on the wing as food, and hopefully some of it to be delivered to older stigmas that earlier also served pollen to flying distributors.

Around the styles the sagging, half-collapsed tips of several perianth segments in picture show where the pollen had come from. They display the same brown substance on their pointed inside surfaces as is present on the pollen presenters. This is wastage, the leftovers that did not stick to the unripe style tips, the pollen presenters.

Later these pollen presenters will assume their feminine duties, becoming stigmas and accepting delivered pollen for fertilising ovules (Manning, 2007; Leistner, (Ed.), 2002; Wikipedia).