like it? click it!
it's rainy today -- and i remembered an article i saw recently, that i'd like to share with flower enthusiasts -- especially the ones that take so many lovely pictures of them...
'the humble raindrop may have played an important role in the evolution of flowers, scientists in china have discovered.
a study of 80 species has revealed that flowers evolve different shapes and structures in part to prevent their pollen getting wet.
other flowers get round the problem by evolving waterproof pollen.
the finding may help explain why so many species in rainy areas either have droopy flowers or close their petals.
many researchers, including charles darwin, have speculated that flowers may have evolved certain traits or structures to protect themselves against the damaging effects of rain, which can wash away pollen grains and dilute nectar.
but few have experimentally tested the idea.'
read about how they finally did, on BBC earth news...
another view:
another interesting tidbit i fell on yesterday... want to know how flickr started?
flickr co-founder caterina fake on the value of viral loops via thomas hawk's friendfeed
