This may be the last hibiscus macro, unless I happen across something different from what I've already posted. Thanks so much for all the great comments on yesterday's macro III. (You can view it: HERE) This photo is a little smaller, concentrating on the pistil this time. The pistil is the central female reproductive organ around which the other flower parts are arranged. At the base is the ovary, where the seeds develop. A long style extends from this. The tip is swollen and flared to form the stigma, in this case branching into 5 parts. The fuzzy stigma receives the pollen. Aren't they cute? Olympus C5050 and postwork in PhotoshopCS ---- A RED FLOWER IS RED BECAUSE: Q1: What makes red petals red? A1: A red flower is red because it contains a red pigment called anthocyanin (the same pigment that dyes autumn leaves red). Similar pigments occur in pink, red, and, surprisingly, blue petals. The degree of acidity of cell sap influences the color. If the sap is acid, petals look red. If it is neutral, they look blue. Q2: Why does a red flower appear red? A2: A red flower appears red because the red petals absorb all light that we can see except for the red colors (the longest wavelengths) and a bit of blue or violet. So, the petals reflect mostly red light to our eyes. The light receptors in our eyes receive the red light and our brains interpret the color as red. A "red" flower appears differently to other animals. Bees and many insects see red light so poorly they can barely discriminate between red petals and green leaves. To these insects, the two colors seem nearly the same. Interestingly enough, bees can distinguish red from other reddish (long wavelength) colors like orange and yellow. Bees have three types of color receptors in their eyes, just as we do, but one of them receives ultraviolet (UV) light, which has shorter wavelengths than we can see. Q3: Why did plants evolve red petals? A3: Plants and insects evolved together. At first, plants reproduced with wind-carried spore as grasses do now. Winds, however, are capricious. The enterprise was risky. Then, about 100 to 150 million years ago, plants evolved flowers. Beetles back then already liked eating spore and quickly became pollen eaters too. Plants benefited as the beetles tracked pollen around the flower and fertilized the plants