Scented oxalis and colour
Mark BROWN (Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:27:45 PST)

Hello,

I was just wondering if these species of oxalis flower in the evening or at night rather than the daytime.
White and very pale yellow folwers are always the most powerfully fragrant.Red ,blue and purple flowers are often lacking in scent.
A phenoma due to their pollination by diurnal (day flying) insects or birds etc.and the others by moths or even occasionally bats (nocturnal).
dark flowered plants are often of curious scent too as they aften use wasps,flies and beetles for pollination.Although we humans can't see ultraviolet and thus see exactly what an insect sees and what is going on in supposedly white or yellow or any other coloured flowers.

Mark

Message du 30/12/08 09:37
De : "Christiaan van Schalkwyk"
A : "Pacific Bulb Society"
Copie à :
Objet : Re: [pbs] Scented oxalis

Hi

I have a white form of O. obtusa which is strongly fragrant, other O. obtusa
clones are faintly or not fragrant. O lichenoides and O. dregei are also
fragrant. Interresting to note that the three I list, as well as O cathara,
and the "O. fragrans", are all white flowering species. Maybe something
worthwile to check out if other white flowering species are also fragrant,
and if other darker Oxalis shares this trait.

Christiaan