A South African Plant called Rat’s Tail Babiana ringens (Iridaceae) has developed a natural perch to entice birds to pollinate its flowers. The plant has a vertical branchless stem that provides a perch and grows above the bright red flowers. Birds hang upside down from the stem to drink the nectar and fertilize the plant. To learn more and see a photo of pollination in action go to: BBC News – Plant has evolved a specialist bird perch. You can also read more in the Annals of Botany
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