[WPRESTO]

One local taken with an excellent macro lens, one taken at a far way place with a megazoom camera. Can you tell the difference, with no ambiguity?

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[Thagomizer]

Not using a macro lens here, but good close-up performance out of the DA55-300:

[edom31]

Taken with a Macro lens, so I reckon it counts... I have more of a Q about my sunflower... what happened here?

[WPRESTO]

Taken with a Macro lens, so I reckon it counts... I have more of a Q about my sunflower... what happened here?

It looks as though some of the tiny flowers have grown normal-size (or if you prefer over-size) petals whereas the petals of the actual flowers in the Asteracaea
(AKA Compositae) are extremely small. I cannot say why this happened but my guess would be either a mutation or the influence of some insect (some parasitic wasps lay eggs that can alter the growth pattern of a plant, commonly causing formation of a gall). If caused by a mutation, that might in turn be a totally random event or might have been induced by exposure to a carcinogen such as an insecticide. Unless someone is familiar with this explicit growth anomaly, it would take considerable research to pin down the cause.

I did some research and a mutation is the likely culprit. Here is a link that has an image of a sunflower with a vaguely similar peculiar flower:

https://m.facebook.com/gardenanswer/photos/a.775699995794749/3658162230881830/?type=3&p=30

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Last edited by WPRESTO; 08-20-2022 at 06:56 AM.

[simon_199]

Stack of 33 images, these colors are a nightmare to work with. At 100% it is pretty detailed and artifact-free, not as effective as a whole but it's a strange flower

[OrchidJulie]

It looks as though some of the tiny flowers have grown normal-size (or if you prefer over-size) petals whereas the petals of the actual flowers in the Asteracaea
(AKA Compositae) are extremely small. I cannot say why this happened but my guess would be either a mutation or the influence of some insect (some parasitic wasps lay eggs that can alter the growth pattern of a plant, commonly causing formation of a gall). If caused by a mutation, that might in turn be a totally random event or might have been induced by exposure to a carcinogen such as an insecticide. Unless someone is familiar with this explicit growth anomaly, it would take considerable research to pin down the cause.

Most (all?) of the Asteraceae have two kinds of flowers in the "head" -- so-called disk flowers in the center and ray flowers around them. Those are all individual flowers, the ones with the large colored petals are the ray flowers. You're right about the possibility of a mutation causing some of the disk flowers to produce large petals resembling ray flowers...this could be an environmentally- induced one-time anomaly. If it's genetic, the only way to know is to observe the same plant flowering again. Happens with some regularity in orchids, sometimes it's a one-time thing cause by some environmental issue (and/or chemical), sometimes it's genetic. Huge numbers of cultivated orchids are lab-produced "meristem propagations" (read lab-created clones) and all manner of things go bump in the night, in the lab, which can produce many sorts of genetic anomalies. Some turn out to be desirable, most are not.

[edom31]

It looks as though some of the tiny flowers have grown normal-size (or if you prefer over-size) petals whereas the petals of the actual flowers in the Asteracaea(AKA Compositae) are extremely small. I cannot say why this happened but my guess would be either a mutation or the influence of some insect (some parasitic wasps lay eggs that can alter the growth pattern of a plant, commonly causing formation of a gall). If caused by a mutation, that might in turn be a totally random event or might have been induced by exposure to a carcinogen such as an insecticide. Unless someone is familiar with this explicit growth anomaly, it would take considerable research to pin down the cause.I did some research and a mutation is the likely culprit. Here is a link that has an image of a sunflower with a vaguely similar peculiar flower:Garden Answer - Mutation or Aster?s Yellow Disease? It?s the only one on the field like it and I?ve seen no leafhoppers (what spread the disease)... ??? It?s seems to be a one off so I?m thinking mutation, and it?s not a sunflower I?ll be saving seed

Most (all?) of the Asteraceae have two kinds of flowers in the "head" -- so-called disk flowers in the center and ray flowers around them. Those are all individual flowers, the ones with the large colored petals are the ray flowers. You're right about the possibility of a mutation causing some of the disk flowers to produce large petals resembling ray flowers...this could be an environmentally- induced one-time anomaly. If it's genetic, the only way to know is to observe the same plant flowering again. Happens with some regularity in orchids, sometimes it's a one-time thing cause by some environmental issue (and/or chemical), sometimes it's genetic. Huge numbers of cultivated orchids are lab-produced "meristem propagations" (read lab-created clones) and all manner of things go bump in the night, in the lab, which can produce many sorts of genetic anomalies. Some turn out to be desirable, most are not.

Thank you for your answers, I am also doing some individual research, asking around.

This particular sunflower plant was grown from last years' seeds (a plant that produced one very big sunflower only).
This year, this particular plant already gave me a big flower (deadheaded already) and now has about 15-20 additional smaller buds... It grew as tall as my garage (the plant). This is its second flower, the others are soon to open and I'll check to see if any others have the anomaly.

[OrchidJulie]

Thank you for your answers, I am also doing some individual research, asking around.

This particular sunflower plant was grown from last years' seeds (a plant that produced one very big sunflower only).
This year, this particular plant already gave me a big flower (deadheaded already) and now has about 15-20 additional smaller buds... It grew as tall as my garage (the plant). This is its second flower, the others are soon to open and I'll check to see if any others have the anomaly.

You're welcome, glad to opine when there's a question about which I may have some limited knowledge. In this case it's experience with the anomalies in artificially-propagated orchids. Bottom line on it, "stuff happens".
But re sunflowers...I personally have never grown them, but a few years ago they suddenly became very trendy and popular in the cut-flower trade. At the time I was working at a nursery out in the country, and a significant portion of my (very long) daily commute took me through the edges of the agricultural areas of the southwestern portion of the metro area. I got used to seeing the usual field crops at various stages of growth, and then suddenly, several very large fields had a completely new crop, I didn't recognize these very large, leafy green plants...until one or two of them bloomed. Sunflowers! Huge fields of them! Not long after the first flowers appeared, the grower began to harvest them, row by row. Doubtless they went to flower purveyors somewhere. Can't say if they're still being grown in those fields, I retired a little more than 2 years ago and no longer make that horrible commute every morning and evening.

[WPRESTO]

Thank you for your answers, I am also doing some individual research, asking around.

This particular sunflower plant was grown from last years' seeds (a plant that produced one very big sunflower only).
This year, this particular plant already gave me a big flower (deadheaded already) and now has about 15-20 additional smaller buds... It grew as tall as my garage (the plant). This is its second flower, the others are soon to open and I'll check to see if any others have the anomaly.

I hope I'm not being tiresome telling you things you already know. Only a few of the normal florets have the anomaly, not the myriad of them in that sunflower. Therefore the mutation took place in the particular tissue that gave rise to those particular unusual florets. The mutation was not in the seed from which the sunflower grew, nor in any of the other seeds in the same batch. The mutation will only be carried in seeds produced by the unusual florets, and not in any of the seeds from the many, many normal florets in the sunflower. It's possible that the florets that have the mutation will not produce a seed at all, or if they do, the seeds may not be viable (=they will not germinate).

[noelcmn]

[que es tu]

Here’s a peace lily. The first shot is with the Pentax SMC DFA 100mm f2.8 @ 1/1. The second is the same, but with a Canon 500D close up filter added.

[WPRESTO]

Snowdrop from a few Spings back.

[que es tu]

These are very tiny flowers I spotted in a field. Well, they were tiny until I “macroed” them!

[noelcmn]

[que es tu]