Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?

"If you were a bee or butterfly, would you want to spread my pollen??"

Every summer when our stargazer lilies bloom I have to photograph them. They're so ostentatious and theatrical, Las Vegas showgirls in a chorus line.

Every summer I also try to get the anatomy right - the bright orange pendulous things are the anthers where pollen is produced; they sit at the end of the stamen (if you brush up against them, you get an orange powder on your clothes that won't wash out). The penis-like projection is the stigma, at the end of the style, which protrudes from the pistil. Got it? There's a very easy graphic that explains it here.

Even though I'm not much of a lily fan, I do love these flowers, and they smell heavenly. I look forward to them blooming every year.

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