Thursday, September 03, 2009

starbursts on red velvet

Red is such an attention grabber. For that reason, it's not a frequently used background color. No, red belongs in the foreground... usually.

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Even when I drew near to take a close look at this flower, the main thing I noticed is that it is basically a red flower. It was not until I zoomed waaay in to crop out the previous background, did I begin to really appreciate the tiny yellow florets, generously pollinated. Notice the tiny whisps of yellow fingers which undergird the flowers. An unscientific guess at their function is that they are there to tickle bumblebees and garden fairies. That is nonsense, of course, since bees have an outer skeleton and aren't ticklish. But playtime for pixies, that's a different story. ;-)

13 comments:

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Craver: I like to see the flower close-up with all the detail. What a neat story from your mind.

Anonymous said...

bees are not the only ones...my attraction to zinnias has really been growing.

mommanator said...

so pretty the red and yellow! and those pestles! didnt you take science in school!

imac said...

Nice one Craver, beautiful colours

donsands said...

Your camera does good reds. My reds are cruddy.

You know humminbirds are attracted to the color red. And bulls like it too. Actually, the bull thing is wrong I think.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Craver Vii said...

Fairy tales aside Fishing Guy, the micro world's testimony to its Creator is just about as impressive to me as the immense things of the universe.

nAncY, would you believe I never even noticed the florets until now? Shame on me.

I was absent that day Mommanator. Besides, pestles are used in the kitchen for pounding and grinding, and they are not as ticklish as fingers. :-P

That shot was taken outside Brother Greg's house, Imac. It was the color that lured me and my camera out-of-doors.

Thanks Sandman. Yeah, red can be tricky. You can be sure that I won't be out there testing the bull theory, though. Shalom.

Carletta said...

Wonderful macro my friend!
Your silliness has made me smile this evening - thank you! :)

Maalie said...

If I may offer a technical point, the yellow bits are the anthers, which sit at the top of a little stalks called the stamens. This is the male organ, that produces pollen. You are right to say that the anthers attract insects, especially bees (or as Donsands suggests) other pollinating agents like Hummingbirds or even bats (which, despite what the bible claims, are not birds).

The bee carries away the pollen to the next flower and some is brushed off onto the female organ (the stigma). Millions of years of evolution by natural selection have produced a process by which cross-pollination (rather than self-fertilisation) occurs.

The cross-pollination results in the promotion of genetic diversity upon which the evolutionary selection can act.

Nice picture, thanks, it would grace a school biology text.

Maalie said...

Sorry, I meant to add:
>Notice the tiny whisps of yellow fingers which undergird the flowers

These are the female organs. The tiny wispy fingers are the styles, at the very tip of which is located the stigma (see comment above). A grain of pollen is brushed onto the stigma, it migrates down through the style, which is a hollow tube) until it reaches the ovary at the base of the style, and fertilises it. You can read more about it here.

Craver Vii said...

It's nice to see you Maalie. Thank you for the nice compliment on the photo. I truly enjoy your company, though I'd enjoy it more if you exercised discretion on the things you brought with you.

Evolved over millions of years?? No sir, this world was created by God thousands of years ago. Darwinian evolution is just as fictional as pixies. Just because more people believe in your religion than pixies does not make it true.

But we have discussed that at length many times before, haven't we? Knowing that we go in endless circles, I am surprised that you brought this to 'my house.'

As to the flower's reproduction, thank you. (I already knew some of that, but enjoy learning more of the specifics.) The post would have been less poetic and or humorous if I had taken that route, though. I intended it to be light.

Hi Carletta. I see that you received it as it was intended. I have another macro I want to post this week. Stay tuned.

Maalie said...

>Darwinian evolution is just as fictional as pixies

I am visiting the Darwin Exhibition in the Vienna Natural History Museum next week and will put that point to them. The evidence doesn't go away just because you choose to be blind to it!

Craver Vii said...

Were you there when the earth was created? I know the One who was there. (You can know Him too & my prayer is that He brings you to a saving knowledge of Himself.)

You're accepting biased interpretations of evidence taught by people who are misinformed. Besides, how can a person "choose to be blind" to darkness, error and delusion? I really don't like Darwin and I feel sorry for anyone who buys his pack of lies because their ultimate origin is the Father of Lies. I choose to be open to the One who is the way, the truth and the life.

lime said...

gorgeous colors all of them.