An Ode to SQUASH

Never, ever again treat the spaghetti squash or zucchini with contempt! 

It could be that they (the squash family) are the smartest plants around and this is why:

If you ever spent about three seconds to push a shiny squash seed into a bit of fertile dirt, chances are that a seedling burst open the seed shell and then successfully took over your garden. In no time!

Then, it sent out a slender arm (or two, or a dozen); a shoot capable of climbing over anything in its path and attaching itself to poles, fences wire or fellow plants.

Shiny new leaves sprouted on the young plant and soon they shaded out the competition. 
Let there be light shining on those leaves and on the millions of tiny photosynthetic factories within. 

Was there a conference in Paris on going solar? That in 2016? 
They should have asked the squash - it knows how to use the sunlight! 
It has known that for thousands of years.

Eventually 2 kinds of flowers had been produced:

Some were male with a bunch of pollen grains arranged around a stick-like stamen 
(filaments that carry anthers with pollen are missing in squash).
The stamen is placed strategically in the center of a deep, hairy "well".
And at the bottom of the "well" are nectaries; specialized nectar-secreting groups of cells.
One nectary is clearly visible in the photo; it is the small brownish dot at the bottom of the "well".
Nectar is highly valued and sought after by many: bees, flies, butterflies, hummingbirds and moths.

Just a couple of weeks ago I had a chance to observe insects during their morning visit of the squash blossoms.                                                           

Various customers were visiting the flower but they were NOT after pollen! Oh, no! 
They wanted nectar, the potent source of energy and a crucial ingredient of honey. 
They were eager to crawl to the bottom of the "well", brushing against the stamen and accumulating pollen on their hairy bodies!



There was barely enough space for them to squeeze through. And the tough hairs on the side of the "well" did not make it easier one bit.

BINGO!!!

They were mostly bees and drone flies there;

the green one being a Virescent Green Metallic Bee - Agapostemon virescens.

After they left the flower, they landed on a nearby leaf and, surprisingly, proceeded to brush all that pollen away.

Only after they managed to get rid of most of it did they fly to another flower.

Drone Fly

A bee attempting to brush away the sticky pollen.

After that they would fly off to find another nectar producing flower.

Possibly a female one.

I was wondering: did they know that they were being used?

Or was it Fair Trade?

The female blossom (top of the page) would also be yellow-orange but in the "well" would sit a 

different extrusion, the sticky pistil, that traps the pollen grains and allows them to grow towards the eggs that are placed in a "bag" just underneath the "well". That's where fertilization occurs. 
1 pollen grain per 1 egg. 1 future seed. No waste!


The female flower would also contain the nectaries.

Because ... how else would a female flower attract the already pollen laden insects?

But here comes the best part! The nectaries in male flowers produce thicker, sweeter nectar and in higher volume too. Wouldn't anyone visit the male flower first? You bet!

Squashes are efficient too. There is no beauty contest between them - the blossom, male or female, opens in the morning and before the day is done either one is closed and finished. You can almost watch the process with your eyes.
The extra nectar within the flowers is re-absorbed, re-used, recycled within the body.

Cucurbits: The Squash family. 

Vigorous tricksters, humble and efficient. Possibly the smartest plants in anyone's yard. 

Squash derives from askutasquash (which means "a green thing eaten raw"). NA first nations language.
Wikipedia.