The contrasting red
throats of a flower of
Hamatocactus_setispinus |
The throat (inner part of a
flower tube) is
frequently (especially in
bee-pollinated plants) a high-contrasting zone near the
base of each
petal often with evident
nectar guides, that
direct the pollinators
to the centre of the flower
to the source of the nectar.
In bird and
moth
pollinated plants the throat is narrowly constricted so that
only the hummingbirds' narrow bills and the long tongue of the
moth can enter to extract the
nectar into the deep nectar container. |