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6 Apr 2010

iris

I discovered those a good week ago on the windy southeastern flank of Braunsberg and thought they'll take at least two weeks to flower, but today I discovered some on the lower flank of Braunsberg - flowering in full!

They're called Iris pumila (the "tiny iris"), and the ones in the background are of the same species - they come in different shades of blue and violet and even yellow, and they do this to trick insects to pollinate them, as they aren't offering any nectar as a reward. And with such impressing flowers they're easily tricked. Insects now might remember (very shortly) which colour the trick flower was, but after having visited a blue one they'll easily fall for a yellow one again, and after that for a violet one ...