The Internet is full of wonders, from memes to stunning photographs, an endless ocean of tweets to political manifestos. People are free to share pretty much anything, and while some use it to share things that they should probably keep to themselves, others sometimes drop a thing or two that absolutely mesmerizes the online public.
One Reddit user by the name of OctopusPrime recently shared a photograph that had many not only confused but pretty fascinated. Dropped in the subreddit NatureIsF**kingLit, the photo showed a type of flower that resembled a collection of tiny green hummingbirds. The author commented, “Check out these beautiful flowers that look like tiny hummingbirds!” and, boy, did people check them out!
A person recently shared this image that had an entire group of people fascinated by it
Image credits: -OctopusPrime
In fact, so many were interested in the picture of this weird plant that just in a day, the post raked 47.5k upvotes with impressive almost-400 comments. Most of the commentators were the questioning kind while the rest tried their best to provide some answers about these rare flowers. And when someone wanted to know why exactly the flower looked like tiny beautiful birds, one person had all the answers.
Image credits: Romer Rabarijaona
Image credits: D. Blumer
Image credits: Cressflower
Image credits: australianseed
Image credits: Atlas of Living Australia
The yellow flower that got everyone’s attention is actually Crotalaria cunninghamii, although the Latin name might be quite a challenge to pronounce and memorize, that’s why people also refer to it as green birdflower or regal birdflower. It is a species native to inland northern Australia. This plant grows well in sandy areas, that’s why it’s mostly found in sand dunes, along beaches, and Mulga communities. The Birdflower was used by Aboriginal people to treat eye infections.
Some people were still a little confused about the flower, but others were quick to provide answers
446Kviews
Share on FacebookI love taking pictures of flowers. Sometimes the leaves are just as beautiful. A great time is when the sun comes out after a good rain 😊
Developers of the simulation went lazy and put a bird design to the flower petal..
I'm an evolutionary biologist and think this is pareidolia rather than mimicry. We could rule this out if the plant isn't visited by hummingbirds, which I suspect is the case since most hummer-pollinated flowers are red or orange. And if it's not pollinated by hummers, it's surely a case of coincidental resemblance.
Well, not so fast . First the visual perception and color vision of Australian pollinator birds categorically called `honeyeaters` (**) and their presumed evolved adaptation “ talk to” and “communicate” with particular flowering and nectar producing plants , by using(utilizing) very particular set of colors as well as petal shape ( appearance) in “common language” of -advertisement and communication- , so called - “words of invitation ” which probably expressed in `mutual visual language for mutual benefit and survival of both species . In particular, the distinctiveness of the color and shape of the petals may give different messages to honeyeaters than the human visual color and shape perception .(**) (**)http://theconversation.com/colourful-language-its-how-aussie-birds-and-flowers-speak-23659
I think that God is all powerful, all knowing, and, through Jesus, who came here to the earth as Messiah, created this flower, he created it where he created it for his own reasons. He needs no "indigenous" man to give him reason. He needs no hummingbird, ant, bee, or any animal, or species of flora or fauna to give him reason to create, or not to create. When we start reasoning away God, rather than just believing the word of God that tells us how all things are done, we lose His honor, we lose His glory, and we lose His presence and His revelation.
And, ALL things were created by God's word. NOT through spontaneous life or by evolution. All things are made "after their own kind".
Load More Replies...If you aren't an Evolutionist but are a Creationist, all that narrative is a waste of breath. God designed it that way for man to enjoy one day when it was "discovered", photographed and posted on the internet. It's as simple as that.
Funny "they" have to place value on this plant in human terms when really all the comments I've seen, including mine, we appreciation of a beautiful flower that resembles a hummingbird, not its worth, not what it means.. it doesnt have to MEAN anything. Why cant people appreciate nature without trying to set a value or purpose? Allahu alim.
Australian Honeyeater pollinator birds (though they are not look like Hummingbirds to us “humans” ) could very well perceive the `language of plant petals differently` , they may well read it as an invitation/advertisement quite possibly , simply because there should be evolutionary reason for the `cost and energy spent for the VISUAL COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE (SHAPE and COLOR OF THE PETAL ) as well as materialized gain , whıch is obvious , meaning this plant successfully survived in this highly competitive and harsh environment as a result of it`s strategy appears to be the case and undeniable . (**)http://theconversation.com/colourful-language-its-how-aussie-birds-and-flowers-speak-23659
Possibly pollinated by mosquitoes. The shape may shelter them.
Load More Replies...Most importantly ` selective environmental pressure` for genetic diversity and particularly pollination by birds seeking nectar and taking pollen to far distant locations to `hybridize ` and diversify the species – is utmost important , in order to increase individual variability in between the members of the species - of that particular plant for survival , meaning there is strong evolutionary selective pressure to `TALK TO THE HONEYEATERS` (**) in any which way possible in order to survive . (**)http://theconversation.com/colourful-language-its-how-aussie-birds-and-flowers-speak-23659
Or maybe, maybe the "specialist" should consider that the benefits of an evolutionary trait are often not very obvious, but once they are revealed become very logic. I would certainly not exclude the possibility that there is a receiver for that signal, just because the commenter can't come up with one doesn't mean it does not exist.
Exactly. "I can't think of it, therefore it must not exist". Small minded to be so definitive about the conclusion.
Load More Replies...how can you get a plant or seeds for this beautiful flower for I would like to have one
How about an evolutionary subjective-psychological explanation for these fenomena as well? Natural selection in action? "Selection pressure" as a magic wand, I would say...: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/441146005/fullscreen http://sweetrandomscience.blogspot.com/2015/02/10-petites-histoires-de-mimetisme-et-de.html
There are small wrens in Australia, don't know if any of them use these flowers/bushes for anything. ( don't know if they have been extincted from those areas )
"extincted" is probably not a word, yet. But you know what I mean.
Load More Replies...I love taking pictures of flowers. Sometimes the leaves are just as beautiful. A great time is when the sun comes out after a good rain 😊
Developers of the simulation went lazy and put a bird design to the flower petal..
I'm an evolutionary biologist and think this is pareidolia rather than mimicry. We could rule this out if the plant isn't visited by hummingbirds, which I suspect is the case since most hummer-pollinated flowers are red or orange. And if it's not pollinated by hummers, it's surely a case of coincidental resemblance.
Well, not so fast . First the visual perception and color vision of Australian pollinator birds categorically called `honeyeaters` (**) and their presumed evolved adaptation “ talk to” and “communicate” with particular flowering and nectar producing plants , by using(utilizing) very particular set of colors as well as petal shape ( appearance) in “common language” of -advertisement and communication- , so called - “words of invitation ” which probably expressed in `mutual visual language for mutual benefit and survival of both species . In particular, the distinctiveness of the color and shape of the petals may give different messages to honeyeaters than the human visual color and shape perception .(**) (**)http://theconversation.com/colourful-language-its-how-aussie-birds-and-flowers-speak-23659
I think that God is all powerful, all knowing, and, through Jesus, who came here to the earth as Messiah, created this flower, he created it where he created it for his own reasons. He needs no "indigenous" man to give him reason. He needs no hummingbird, ant, bee, or any animal, or species of flora or fauna to give him reason to create, or not to create. When we start reasoning away God, rather than just believing the word of God that tells us how all things are done, we lose His honor, we lose His glory, and we lose His presence and His revelation.
And, ALL things were created by God's word. NOT through spontaneous life or by evolution. All things are made "after their own kind".
Load More Replies...If you aren't an Evolutionist but are a Creationist, all that narrative is a waste of breath. God designed it that way for man to enjoy one day when it was "discovered", photographed and posted on the internet. It's as simple as that.
Funny "they" have to place value on this plant in human terms when really all the comments I've seen, including mine, we appreciation of a beautiful flower that resembles a hummingbird, not its worth, not what it means.. it doesnt have to MEAN anything. Why cant people appreciate nature without trying to set a value or purpose? Allahu alim.
Australian Honeyeater pollinator birds (though they are not look like Hummingbirds to us “humans” ) could very well perceive the `language of plant petals differently` , they may well read it as an invitation/advertisement quite possibly , simply because there should be evolutionary reason for the `cost and energy spent for the VISUAL COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE (SHAPE and COLOR OF THE PETAL ) as well as materialized gain , whıch is obvious , meaning this plant successfully survived in this highly competitive and harsh environment as a result of it`s strategy appears to be the case and undeniable . (**)http://theconversation.com/colourful-language-its-how-aussie-birds-and-flowers-speak-23659
Possibly pollinated by mosquitoes. The shape may shelter them.
Load More Replies...Most importantly ` selective environmental pressure` for genetic diversity and particularly pollination by birds seeking nectar and taking pollen to far distant locations to `hybridize ` and diversify the species – is utmost important , in order to increase individual variability in between the members of the species - of that particular plant for survival , meaning there is strong evolutionary selective pressure to `TALK TO THE HONEYEATERS` (**) in any which way possible in order to survive . (**)http://theconversation.com/colourful-language-its-how-aussie-birds-and-flowers-speak-23659
Or maybe, maybe the "specialist" should consider that the benefits of an evolutionary trait are often not very obvious, but once they are revealed become very logic. I would certainly not exclude the possibility that there is a receiver for that signal, just because the commenter can't come up with one doesn't mean it does not exist.
Exactly. "I can't think of it, therefore it must not exist". Small minded to be so definitive about the conclusion.
Load More Replies...how can you get a plant or seeds for this beautiful flower for I would like to have one
How about an evolutionary subjective-psychological explanation for these fenomena as well? Natural selection in action? "Selection pressure" as a magic wand, I would say...: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/441146005/fullscreen http://sweetrandomscience.blogspot.com/2015/02/10-petites-histoires-de-mimetisme-et-de.html
There are small wrens in Australia, don't know if any of them use these flowers/bushes for anything. ( don't know if they have been extincted from those areas )
"extincted" is probably not a word, yet. But you know what I mean.
Load More Replies...
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