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Speaker: Sam Droege, Biologist, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
For 100 million years flowering plants have evolved with their pollinators. The shapes, colors, sizes, scents, timing of flowering, number of pollen grains, size of stigma, location on plant, length of time open, time of day open, presence of nectar, chemical composition of nectar, structure of pollen, chemical composition of pollen (phew!) of the plant interact with the size, type of of hairs, tolerance of pollen toxins, time of year, nesting location, shape of mandibles, location of pollen carrying hairs, numbers, time of day, length of tongue, ability to sonicate, specialized structures, flower preferences, color preferences (phew!). Sam will incorporate what is known about the distribution and types of plants, the distribution and types of bees, and will look at specific plant pollinators groups (e.g., Claytonia, Lupines, Opuntia, Philadelphus, Physalis) and habitats (e.g., dunes, bogs, wetlands) to demonstrate how bee populations reflect plant distributions. He will also talk about the status and types of bees present in the state and all that we don't know.
Location: White Oak Library - Large Meeting Room
Directions: Exit the Washington Beltway at New Hampshire Ave (exit 28). Go north about 2 miles. The library is the first building on the right, once you have passed under Route 29, just after the Sears store. Directions and map.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
There will be refreshments and door prizes. Pot luck refreshments are always welcome.
The meeting is open to non-members.
Registration is not required.
Meetings take place on the last Tuesday of each month.
©Maryland Native Plant Society PO Box 4877, Silver Spring, MD 20914MNPS is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization incorporated in Maryland.