More nature from "I Fucking Love Science" on FB

[charisstoma]

This is genuinely a real flower. Psychotria elata, also known as "hookers lips".

Comments

[theotherdibbler.livejournal.com]

That's amazing. How do these things evolve? It does kind of raise the possibility of a mischievous deity out there playing games with genetics.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

There was a documentary from a while ago that equated red puffy lips as representing female labia in the flush of sexual excitement and receptiveness. Which is odd if you think about that's not where you'd want a bee to search for nectar or set about pollinating, mouth or vagina. Still red is an exciting color. The opening for the flower is very clearly marked as enter here. And there is an orchid that mimics a female bee and is pollinated by males of that species.

So unless male primates have been the main source of pollinating this flowering plant we'll call it convergent evolution.

*GRINS*

And not think about all the science fiction stories we've read where the plant is carnivorous.