Warm topic.I was fascinated by the article on heat production in flowers ("Warm-Blooded Plants?" SN: 12/13/03, p. 379). It speculated on the evolutionary origins of such thermogenesis thermogenesis /ther·mo·gen·e·sis/ (-jen´e-sis) the production of heat, especially within the animal body.thermogenet´icthermogen´ic ther·mo·gen·e·sis n. and observed how it predominates in ancient lineages of flowering plants like magnolias and water lilies. But thermogenesis goes back much farther than this, for it also occurs in cycads, nonflowering plants that arose in the Paleozoic. The male cones of some cycads, when mature, may maintain themselves at an astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. 20[degrees] or more above the ambient temperature. This, as in the dead-horse arum arum, common name for the Araceae, a plant family mainly composed of species of herbaceous terrestrial and epiphytic plants found in moist to wet habitats of the tropics and subtropics; some are native to temperate zones. , helps volatilize vol·a·til·ize intr. & tr.v. vol·a·til·ized, vol·a·til·iz·ing, vol·a·til·iz·es 1. To become or make volatile. 2. To evaporate or cause to evaporate. what is (to us) a foul smell. It is considered antisocial antisocial /an·ti·so·cial/ (-so´sh'l) 1. denoting behavior that violates the rights of others, societal mores, or the law. 2. denoting the specific personality traits seen in antisocial personality disorder. in Guam to have male cycads in one's garden, but for certain insects, apparently, this smell is a delicious one, for they are attracted to the hot cones and help distribute their pollen. OLIVER SACKS, NEW YORK, N.Y. The last section of the article briefly contrasts the rewards flowers give pollinators: heat versus pollen and nectar. It should be pointed out that the techniques are essentially identical, in that the plant is rewarding the pollinators with energy. In one case, the energy is passed as chemical energy. In the other case, it's radiant energy. The media are different, but the message is the same: an incentive for the pollinators to behave in a way that benefits the plant. The chemical technique may have a better ratio of energy expended to results produced (pollination pollination, transfer of pollen from the male reproductive organ (stamen or staminate cone) to the female reproductive organ (pistil or pistillate cone) of the same or of another flower or cone. and offspring). If so, selection pressures would tend to maximize its occurrence. GEORGE ALMOND RIDGEWOOD, N.J. |
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