Perry’s berries, probably initiated through vicarious pollination by excited houseflies, continue to enlarge. At least some of them do – those on the periphery of Perry’s infructescence seem not to thrive to the degree of those that are more centrally located. Check out the comparison photos (taken on September 12 and October 26, respectively) to see the difference – click on the thumbnails for close-up views. Even though chances are high that no seeds will be produced (based on similar vicarious pollination at the University of Wisconsin, Madison), we can hope.
For this year’s Halloween party, sponsored by the Gustavus Chemistry and Biology Clubs and held at Scott Bur’s house, I went dressed as Perry, complete with green, white-spotted makeup to turn my face and neck into a petiole. A first-place costume award followed, despite stiff competition from the Bur Aluminum/Princess Office (Noah Setterholm), Mr. Frenchman (Joel Carlin), Christine O’Donnell (Brandy Russell), and numerous others. The third photo above was taken by Anthony Cesnik in my office a few days after Halloween. Click here for more photos (including from the Halloween party and construction of the headpiece) on Flickr.
Re Alter Ego Aeranthes. We are Chilean botanists specialising in S. American violas and discovered by chance that one of the pics is one of the most sought-after ‘lost’ species known to us. Can you help by connecting us, please? Many thanks.
To which picture are you referring? If you could send me a link (presumably from my aeranthes Flickr site) or post one here, I will be able to comment.