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 81 hummingbird and Heliconia DHJanzen101093.jpg high resolution
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| Returning to the hummingbird and what it brings to the table, there is yet more to examine. This red-flagged Heliconia inflorescence is in fact a branch with large bracts (evolutionarily expanded leaf bases that have become receptacles for water). Inside the bracts are clusters of flower buds, under rainwater for protection, and each opening flower projects upward to be visited by a hummingbird - fairly straightforward. | ||
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