Why do some flowers bloom only a single day?

[Rev "Fragile Warrior"]

I was just mourning the fact that the beautiful red blossoms on my Passion Flower vine only live a single day same as the Daylilies that I love so much. But now I'm wondering why? Does anyone know the biological explanation for why some flowers bloom for days and days and others only bloom one turning of the sun? Not to mention the kinds of flowers that only bloom a single night.

I would think a longer blooming cycle enhances the possibility of fertilization so there must be some good reason why the flower's bloom cycle is so short. I even understand why tropical flowers bloom at night (because insects and breezes and animals are more likely to be out at night in the tropics, right?) but the short bloom cycle has me baffled.

Help, please! Thx, Giselle

[dps]

We acquired a passion flower vine last year, but the flowers were purple and white, not red. They lasted up to 5 days.

On the other hand, someone gave us an orchid (variety unknown). It doesn't bloom often, but the last group of 4 blooms lasted 14 weeks.

Rev "Fragile Warrior" wrote:

[David Bockman]

"Rev \"Fragile Warrior\"" wrote in news:d8phlb$2gg1$ [e-mail]:

It's all about energy conservation. Blooming requires a great deal of a plant's available energy energy which otherwise could go towards vegetative and root growth, so over time a genus/variety will reach an equilibrium wherein the bloom time is the absolute minimum needed for continuing propogation of itself.

[William Wagner]

Don't forget that the transiency of the bloom some how reminds of our own.

Bill

[MICHAEL LYONS]

An Orchid flower will fade and die quickly once it is pollinated. Each kind of naturally occurring orchid has a specific creature that takes care of its fertilization process. (Usually an insect.) Charles Darwin wrote about one orchid that he came across that there must a moth in the area with a proboscis longer than any previously discovered, because the flower shape requires it. Decades later, another scientist finally found the moth that Darwin had never seen, but knew must exist. Many of our hybrids would never be able to exist in the wild because the right insect does not exist. I have

20 some different kinds of orchids growing in my yard. The flowers on one of them fade in just a couple of days unless the plant is brought inside. Some local creature must be able to carry out at least part of the fertilization process on it.

[VMWOOD]

[Stephen Henning]

1. Because the buds weren't open the day before.
2. Because they are day lilies whose genetic coding determines that.
3. Because something eats them.
4. Because there was a tornado.
5. Because the are pumpkin flowers whose genetic coding determines that.
6. Because they are the roses of Atacama whose genetic coding determines that.
7. Because they are Sacred Datura (members of the nightshade family) whose genetic coding determines that.
8. Because it is a cactus such as the saguaro and can't waste moisture by staying open and whose genetic coding determines that.
9. Because it is a Blue passion flower whose genetic coding determines that.
10. Because there was a frost that night.

Also, the vanilla plant and many others. If the species can survive with only a one-day bloom, there is no genetic pressure to bloom longer.

[Cereus-validus.....]

Economy.

If they are pollinated the first day, they do not need to remain open.

It uses up a lot more of the plant's energy to keep the flowers open for several days.

Most nocturnal flowers are not designed to withstand the mid-day heat.

[Cereus-validus.....]

What a royally stupid cop-out typical bible-thumper answer.

That's not the correct answer anyway.

Flowers are adapted to their local pollinator ecology.

Its all about sex not pleasing man.

[Salty Thumb]

"MICHAEL LYONS" wrote in news:pc%re.4823$ [e-mail]:

For anybody interested, this was shown on the Nature three part series Deep Jungle, episode 1, New Frontiers. Basicly just the blurb about Darwin and a the guy hunting down the orchid and staying up all night with a camera.

have to roll my eyes at this series, though. PBS trying to be hip. @-|

[Suzy O]

Yes, but why?

[Travis]

Thank you.