Milkweed flowers are unique.
5 fused filaments form a upward-pointing "corona" that sits atop 5 reflexed petals.
Surrounding the showy corona is a "gynostegium" composed of fused anthers and stigmas.
Dissecting away parts of the corona and gynostegium reveals pollen that are packed into sacs called "pollinia";
pairs of pollinia hang like saddlebags from a black "corpusculum".
Hidden within the gynostegium are also stigma slits to receive pollinia.
A pollinating insect, such as this honey bee visiting a Prairie Milkweed (A. sullivantii),
often gets its legs trapped in the stigma slits.
When a bee pulls her legs out, the pollinia are carried off,
and may drop down the stigma slit of another milkweed blossom.
Sometimes an insect, such as this honey bee, fails to free her legs and becomes permanently trapped,
eventually dying of dehydration.
A close-up of one of her legs reveals a pollinia sac still attached.
Occasionally. a milkweed turns into a mass murderer, trapping numerous insects of a given size,
such as these Japanese Beetles.
The nectar from the milkweed must be so fragrant that these insects are willing to risk life and limb harvesting the intoxicating liquid, each step potentially their last.
Milkweed Tussock Moth
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Red Milkweed Beetles
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Asian Lady Beetle larva
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Great Golden Digger Wasp
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Large Milkweed Bugs
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