|
This plant may look like it is puckering up for a saucy smooch, but it is really saving all its love for hummingbirds and butterflies. Psychotria elata is the scientific name for the hot lips plant, which flowers in the humid forests of Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. Called bracts, the glossy red leaves are the perfect colour to catch the eye of pollinators because butterfly and hummingbird eyes are very sensitive to red light. As butterflies and hummingbirds land on the flowers to drink nectar, they transfer the pollen from flower to flower. This is essential for the plant’s reproduction. (Photo by Dr. Morley Read)
|
