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Scybalium fungiforme
The flower of Scybalium fungiforme
- ... that the flowers of Scybalium fungiforme are covered in sharp scales that require opossums, with their opposable claws, to tear them open?
- Source: "Today, scientists have added another oddity to the list. Researchers had long suspected that because the female flowers of S. fungiforme are covered in hard scales that shield its nectar, it couldn't be pollinated by a bird or bee. And now, thanks to night vision cameras, scientists have their culprit: opossums." Shultz, David (12 February 2020). "Caught in the act: Opossums pollinate bizarre parasitic plant". Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science. doi:10.1126/science.abb2822. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Esther Tailfeathers
- Comment: If there are any alternative wordings for the hook, I would be very much welcome to hear it! It is a very interesting plant that I believe would make a great hook. Thank you in advance to the reviewer for taking their time reading through this article!
Created by
Ornithoptera (
talk).
Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 32 past nominations.
Ornithoptera ( talk) 21:06, 7 June 2024 (UTC).
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Article new enough and long enough. The sections are all cited, and sources are all of good quality and neutrally represented. The description section is a little close to the translated source text and should be massaged into smoother flowing prose. As an alternative to hook, you could go with - Alt1 ... that the primary pollinators of the parasitic Scybalium fungiforme plant (pictured) are saruê possums?-- Kev min § 16:30, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
- Hi @
Kevmin:! Thank you for taking the time to read through the article,
and I will definitely take into account your suggestion in a moment(just reworded in accordance to your suggestion, if you have any more suggestions to help with the flow, you are welcome to share them!). I appreciate the alternative hook, but to me it feels a bit dry. I would like to emphasize in the hook how the flowers are torn open by possums. Matter of factly telling people that an animal pollinates plants (both of which they might not know) feel a bit dry to those who are not familiar with plant pollination. To folks who are familiar with pollination, knowing that mammals pollinate flowers is an uncommon pollination method and thus interesting, but its too niche to be hook-y to me. Including the idea that the flowers are essentially hidden away until they are torn open could be quite interesting to someone unfamiliar with the subject area. Ornithoptera ( talk) 19:29, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
- @ Ornithoptera: I can respect that. With the original hook, its long feeling, we should be looking to streamline it. None of the sources used so far have called the inflorescence scales "sharp", as a note. The Amorim et al 2020 paper specifically uses the terms "scrap and remove" and "desquamate" so maybe going with a peeling analogy. Also did you see there is a Dec 2002 paper also lead by Amorim which details bat visitation to the flowers doi: 10.1002/ecy.3935 and documents two possum species and a second major scale removing group in the ruby-crowned tanager, Tachyphonus coronatus?-- Kev min § 20:21, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
- Alt2...that before they can be pollinated, flowers of Scybalium fungiforme need to be forcefully peeled open by possums or tanagers?
- @ Kevmin: Hi! I did not! Fascinating resource though! It sounds like a much improved hook, and I didn't notice that article while I was doing my research! You are very much welcome to insert it into the article, but it sounds good to me! Ornithoptera ( talk) 20:57, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
- Hi @
Kevmin:! Thank you for taking the time to read through the article,
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