Ping flowers

[Tim]

Do Ping flowers usually open in the day and close in the night? How long do they usually last? Am I just imagining phototropism?

Thanks

 

[Joseph Clemens]

In my experience, once they open they do not close again. They eventually wither away, if not successfully fertilized and this process takes various amounts of time depending on the environment and the species / hybrid concerned. If successfully fertilized they drop their petals very quickly and develop a seed bearing fruit.

 

[schloaty]

Tim,
   It's interesting that you mention this....I noticed the same thing with my Ping (I think its primuliflora...not sure of the spelling there).  I also noticed that as the time passes, the flower stalk is continuing to grow taller....

 

[Tim]

Perhaps it is that Joseph grows his so accurately with timed light and all, and mine is in the greenhouse. Mine is still for (I think) 4 days opening in the day, and closing in the night. As far as phototropism, right now it's facing the north. If I remember, I'll check tonight and tomorrow morning. It's now 1:22pm.

 

[Tristan]

My P.ionantha flowers open and then close at night. The stalk also seems to increase in length.

 

[Tim]

I wonder what pollinates them in nature?

 

[monkeyman]

Tim, my ping flowers did something similar to yours but, not exactly the same. The flowers on my P. Primuliflora seemed to nod up and down from day to night. In the morning they would be facing down and by the afternoon they would be facing up. Weird.....

 

[Tim]

I've been taking pictures, and I half expect to be able to prove phototropism, although I'm sure 1578 other people have already commented upon it.

The flower is facing away from the sun, leaning over away from it. Today at 1ish,.....well, you'll probably see a sequence with in a few days..