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Title: Orchid Has "Active" Sex With Itself -- A Flower First? Post by: Orstio on June 21, 2006, 05:23:19 PM http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060621-orchid-sex.html
An agile Chinese orchid performs a floral version of sexual intercourse—with itself. Researchers say an extension of the male flower part, or anther, turns an upside-down loop to deliver spermlike pollen spores directly into the female cavity. The anther bends to enter the female chamber from below and is secured in place by a ring structure on its stalk to ensure fertilization. The flower is the first known plant in which pollination is entirely self-directed, with no outside agents or forces—such as bees or breezes—playing a role. |