iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Delonix regia has an interesting way of signifying to pollinators (birds, in its natural habitat, Madagascar) that some flowers are not worth visiting. The white banner petal is exposed in fresh flowers, but the petal folds in on itself. #Fabaceae #color #Botany 🌾🧪🌱 1/2

Photo of a single flower face-on, with five small, red sepals and five, red, clawed petals. The dorsal petal is unlike the other petals: It’s white with a yellowish base and spotted and streaked with red. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

Photo of a single flower face-on. The dorsal petal has curled in on itself from the side, so that the white face is not showing. The other petals are still open. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Here’s how retaining the old flowers maximizes the floral display in Delonix regia. The first photo shows a cluster of flowers as they are displayed on the tree. The second photo shows the same cluster but with old, pollinated flowers removed. See the difference? 2/2

A cluster of flowers backed by fine, bipinnate leaves. There are masses of flowers, some with the white banner visible. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

Same cluster of flowers but with the old flowers (with closed banner petals) removed. There are only about four flowers remaining in a very sparse cluster. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

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