A male zucchini flower. Zucchini plants produce male and female flowers on the same plant and for the plants to produce fruit, insects must visit both flowers, taking the pollen from male flowers and transferring it to the female flower. The absence of ideal conditions for pollination and for setting fruits may cause the flowers to fall off before the zucchini develops. Male flowers are the first to appear on zucchini plants, opening before female flowers.
The anatomy of male and female flowers differs. The pollen-producing parts of the male flower are the anthers and filaments located on the stamen. These are often fused together. Male flowers often open, release the pollen and then fall off. Female flowers must remain on the plant until the zucchini starts to grow, and this can only happen when pollination is successful. Without pollination, female flowers fall off and plants won't produce any fruit. Female blossoms are connected to the fruit. Male blossoms have a long, thin stem. Zucchini flowers are edible and very tasty when prepared as fritters.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme
They have a more complex sex life that most human couples.
ReplyDeleteI always love the big yellow blooms of my squash plants. The flowers are thrilling, the fruit...it never is as pretty as the flower.
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