ORPHIUM FRUTESCENS

Family

Gentianaceae – Orphium frutescens

Common Name

Sea Rose (Eng.); Teringbos (Afr.)

INTRODUCTION

The Sea Rose is found along the coast of the southwestern Cape, from Lambert's Bay to George. Its habitat is near the seashore or in marshy brackish flats. In Rooiels it flowers abundantly in the Nature Reserve and around the estuary.

Each showy flower has five broad, glossy, slightly sticky pink petals. Occasionally they are white. The anthers are bright yellow and coiled like little barley-sugar sticks. Tiny openings at their tips allow the pollen to be shaken out. (More about this in a moment.)

BUZZ POLLINATION

The flowers are pollinated by carpenter bees. The anthers open only in response to the buzz of the bees' wings at approximately the note C. This has even been demonstrated using a tuning fork!

This remarkable process is known as buzz pollination. It prevents the pollen from simply blowing away in the famous Rooiels winds and ensures that it is released only when a suitable pollinator visits.

Along comes the female carpenter bee. She hovers above the beautiful pink flower—no response. Getting frustrated, she buzzes her little wings a little faster until she reaches the right note. This causes the tiny pores in the anthers to open, allowing her to shake out the pollen rather like using a saltshaker.

The hapless male carpenter bee has to find his pollen somewhere else.

HABITAT

The Sea Rose grows near the seashore or in marshy brackish flats. In Rooiels you can find it in the Nature Reserve, around the rocky coastline and in the estuary. It flowers mainly during the warmer months towards the end of the year.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Status: Least Concern.