Atypical hummingbird flower
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Columnea |
| Taxonomic group | Gesneriaceae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Ecological interactions | Mutualism |
| Mutualism | Pollination |
| Selection and adaptations | Coloration |
| Coloration | Attracting mutualists |
| Date | June 1990 - August 1990 |
| Location | Rara Avis,Costa Rica,North America |
Related materials: Columnea
Please click the Related materials link to see several images of this oddball of a hummingbird-pollinated flower. This is a great example of the ways that natural selection creates different solutions to a single problem, in this case the problem of attracting a specific type of pollinator.
Hummingbird-pollinated plant with atypical attractive characteristics, Costa Rica, closeup of the paired spots, which appear to be red "windows" from below.
Hummingbirds are typically attracted to red or orange tubular flowers. This Columnea shrub in the African violet family has very nondescript yellow flowers that are almost hidden, yet it is also hummingbird pollinated. It turns out that the paired white blotches on the upper surface of each leaf are actually translucent windows. When viewed from beneath they almost glow red, which attracts hummingbirds that then find the flowers.
