Lilies

An explosion of flowers at the top of each stem

Biologists love making up words. The correct name for a burst of flowers connected by short stalks to the same point on a plant is an “umbel.”

White satin flowers

Whatever the angle Lilies are stunning.

Nothing lasts for ever.

The flower in the centre is perfectly shaped. A cluster of six pollen covered anthers lye beneath a shiny, sticky stigma.

Petals fade and blow away. All that remains is a withered stigma and a tube (style) that leads to the ovary.

Luckily pollen grains grow an even longer impregnating tool that slowly travels the length of the style before fertilising an egg in the ovary.

A bit more detail.

The stigma has three gently curving lobes. The anthers are clipped onto the filaments by a narrow groove. They will eventually release their grip and flip perpendicular to their filaments.

Flipped Anthers.

Gold pollen dust everywhere.

Developing seed capsules.

A closer look at the fused ovaries.

Inside the seed capsule.

Tablet shaped seeds growing inside the ovaries.