# phyto: the fussy pollination scheme of the Joshua tree

<<  the plants commonly known as Joshua trees include two distinct, sister-species of plant: Yucca brevifolia Engelm. and Yucca jaegeriana McKelvey, each pollinated by two sister-species of yucca moth Tegeticula synthetica Riley and Tegeticula antithetica Pellmyr, respectively. A number of studies have argued that the moths have coevolved with their hosts, producing a pattern of phenotype matching between moth ovipositor length and floral style length. >>

W.S. Cole, Jr. A.S. James, C.I. Smith. First recorded observations of pollination and oviposition behavior in Tegeticula antithetica (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) suggest a functional basis for coevolution with Joshua tree (Yucca) hosts. Annals of the Entomological Society of America.  Vol.  110, July 2017, p. 390. doi: 10.1093/aesa/sax037.

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/110/4/390/3072239

<< To me [the flowers] smell kind of like mushrooms or ripe cantaloupe, >> Christopher Irwin Smith

Susan Milius. Shutdown aside, Joshua trees live an odd life. In the U.S. southwest, Joshua trees evolved a rare, fussy pollination scheme. Feb 6, 2019.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/shutdown-aside-joshua-trees-live-odd-life

Also

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=%23+phyto