Anthesis
Botanical term
Anthesis is the period during which a flower is fully open and functional. It may also refer to the onset of that period.
The onset of anthesis is spectacular in some species. In Banksia species, for example, anthesis involves the extension of the style far beyond the upper perianth parts. Anthesis of flowers is sequential within an inflorescence, so when the style and perianth are different colours, the result is a striking colour change that gradually sweeps along the inflorescence.
Flowers with diurnal anthesis generally are brightly colored in order to attract diurnal insects, such as butterflies. Flowers with nocturnal anthesis generally are white or less colorful, and as such, they contrast more strongly with the night. These flowers typically attract nocturnal insects including many moth species.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Anthesis”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Banksia menziesii 1 gnangarra.jpg by Gnangarra, CC BY 2.5 au
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