[NatureNS] BEES finding Wild Flowers blooming now with very WHITE POLLEN?

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From: Ian <ian@amimckay.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 17:41:07 -0300
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Thank you all for your quick and helpful replies. I will go for hike tomorro=
w and see if a wet area that was sadly clearcut this winter may have Turtleh=
eads. It does seem the most likely culprit at present. If I find them, and t=
he bees, I will let you know.

Sent from my iPod

On 2014-09-02, at 14:00, Rick Ballard <ideaphore@gmail.com> wrote:

> Here is a quote from the web mentioning that the Turtlehead flower does de=
posit its pollen on the back of a bee.
>=20
> "Bumblebees collect both nectar and pollen, but there would be little adva=
ntage to the plants to have pollen collected and fed to the bee=E2=80=99s la=
rvae, so the turtlehead has found a way to protect its pollen. The anthers, w=
hich hold the pollen, and the stigma, which receives it, are hidden under th=
e upper lip of the flower. The bee can only enter the flower by forcing its h=
ead and body into the mouth of the flower while holding on to the flowers=E2=
=80=99 lower lip. It cannot reach the anthers with its front legs in that po=
sition, they are behind it, so the bee cannot collect the pollen. The bee ca=
n drink the nectar from the base of the flower, though. As it forces its way=
 down into the flower, the anthers rub against its velvety back and the poll=
en grains are caught. If the flower has already shed its pollen, the anthers=
 pull back and the stigma becomes receptive. If the next foraging bee has so=
me pollen on its back, the pollen sticks onto the stigma and begins to germi=
nate."
>=20
>=20
> On Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 1:37 PM, Rick Ballard <ideaphore@gmail.com> wrote:
>=20
> On Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Ian McKay <ian@amimckay.com> wrote:
> We keep a few hives here in Scots Bay. Over the past week or so the bees h=
ave been returning with a very WHITE POLLEN. They are covered in it with a p=
ronounced streak down their backs. This leads me to think that they are craw=
ling into a tubular blossom of some sort. I haven=E2=80=99t been able to tra=
ck it down in my wanderings and it may be a woodland flower as some are head=
ing back into the woods. Any ideas as to what it could be, blooming Late Aug=
ust/Early Sept?
>=20
> =E2=80=8BTurtleheads ! Certainly in bloom now.
>=20
> " This unique flower shape has evolved to suit the plant's pollinators, pr=
imarily large bees. The lower "lip" of the flower acts as a landing pad for t=
he bees, while the upper hood of the flower not only guards the nectar from u=
nsuitable pollinators, but also helps deliver pollen to the bees' fuzzy bodi=
es as they push apart the petals in search of nectar. =E2=80=8B"
>=20
>=20
>=20
> --=20
> Rick Ballard=20
> Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> --=20
> Rick Ballard=20
> Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada=20

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<html><head></head><body bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><div>Thank you all for your qui=
ck and helpful replies. I will go for hike tomorrow and see if a wet area th=
at was sadly clearcut this winter may have Turtleheads. It does seem the mos=
t likely culprit at present. If I find them, and the bees, I will let you kn=
ow.<br><br>Sent from my iPod</div><div><br>On 2014-09-02, at 14:00, Rick Bal=
lard &lt;ideaphore@gmail.com&gt; w=
rote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div dir=3D"ltr=
"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif">Here is a=
 <a href=3D"http://huttonstreet.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/turtlehead-chelone-=
glabra/">quote</a> from the web mentioning that the Turtlehead flower does d=
eposit its pollen on the <i>back</i> of a bee.<br>
<br>"Bumblebees collect both nectar and pollen, but there would be little=20=

advantage to the plants to have pollen collected and fed to the bee=E2=80=99=
s=20
larvae, so the turtlehead has found a way to protect its pollen. The=20
anthers, which hold the pollen, and the stigma, which receives it, are=20
hidden under the upper lip of the flower. The bee can only enter the=20
flower by forcing its head and body into the mouth of the flower while=20
holding on to the flowers=E2=80=99 lower lip. It cannot reach the anthers wi=
th=20
its front legs in that position, they are behind it, so the bee cannot=20
collect the pollen. The bee can drink the nectar from the base of the=20
flower, though. As it forces its way down into the flower, the anthers=20
rub against its velvety back and the pollen grains are caught. If the=20
flower has already shed its pollen, the anthers pull back and the stigma
 becomes receptive. If the next foraging bee has some pollen on its=20
back, the pollen sticks onto the stigma and begins to germinate."</div></div=
><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Sep 2=
, 2014 at 1:37 PM, Rick Ballard <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:idea=
phore@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">ideaphore@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:=
<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px=
 #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><d=
iv class=3D""><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 12:21 PM=
, Ian McKay <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:ian@amimckay.com" target=
=3D"_blank">ian@amimckay.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>

<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-l=
eft:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">We keep a few hives here in=
 Scots Bay. Over the past week or so the bees=20
have been returning with a very WHITE POLLEN. They are covered in it with a=20=

pronounced streak down their backs. This leads me to think that they are=20
crawling into a tubular blossom of some sort. I haven=E2=80=99t been able to=
 track it=20
down in my wanderings and it may be a woodland flower as some are heading b