Word of the day: "cleistogamous"

Viola adunca, May 27, 2021

Viola adunca, May 27, 2021

Common & scientific name
Blue violet & Alpine violet Viola adunca & V. adunca var. bellidifolia

Family
Violet, Violaceae

Location
Twin Lakes, 9,700’ & Linkins Lake, 12,000’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

As lovely as violets are, they do not rely on pollinators as their primary means of reproduction.  Rather, certain of a violet plant’s flowers don’t develop pollinator-attracting attributes, never open, and stay underground or emerge only after their seeds mature into fruits.  Such self-fertilizing flowers are “cleistogamous.”

Viola adunca var. bellidifolia or V. labradorica, Linkins Lake, June 16, 2021

Viola adunca var. bellidifolia or V. labradorica, Linkins Lake, June 16, 2021