Crocus thomasii fragrance

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net
Mon, 07 Nov 2005 07:23:26 PST
Arnold asked " Do you think that the intense fragrance is related to the
volatile oils 
and that  they are more active in higher temps?"

It seems reasonable, doesn't it? 

Different oils have different evaporation/boiling points, and it stands to
reason that if the crocus is producing different oils, they would disperse
at different temperatures.

In fact, I wonder if plants which do produce different fragrances are not
disclosing a bit about their history of pollinators. It may well be that the
different fragrances attract different pollinators. The dominant fragrance
may well be the one which attracts the currently dominant pollinator. The
secondary fragrances may well be ones which attract secondary pollinators;
and to take it a step further, those secondary fragrances which do not
correspond to any current pollinator may indicate that another pollinator
which no longer plays a role once existed. It's as if a bit of their
evolutionary history is expressed in their fragrance!

Anyone interested in investing (stocks, bonds, futures - that sort of
investing) would benefit from an acute understanding of the survival
scenarios of even something as seemingly inconsequential as a crocus. Among
other things, they're all experts at hedging!

Jim McKenney
Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where a small investment in
Jane's crocuses has paid off handsomely in enjoyment this year.   


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