8-12-14 - “Twerly” - Silly me...as I paddled in earnest to the south end of the lake, my brain suddenly wanted to experience the fragrance of Nymphaea odorata. It had been so long....I can’t even remember the last time....so long that I don’t have a clear memory of it....only that it is pleasant....and powerful....filling the air with its sweet scent when one is among a large grouping of them. I knew there would be a several of them in the shallow water at the far end of the lake. I was certain that once I “rewhiffed” the fragrant water lily that it would take me back to the origin of my love for fishing.....back to my preteens when summer vacation days were often spent with bobber and worms on the shoreline of Lake Colby Outlet catching stringers of bullheads among the lily pads. But, as you can see in the photo, I was “twerly”....ha...too early. A considerable amount of light is necessary for the flowers to open...usually happens by mid-morning. This is not a phototropism....that would require the plant to grow toward or away from the light. This is not phototaxis....that would require the plant to move toward or away from the light. This is a nastic movement controlled by the purple sepals you see enclosing the bud in the foreground of the photo. Certain cells in a structure called a pulvinus at the base of the sepals gain or lose turgor pressure due to the amount of light. Cells lacking turgor pressure will be limp and those with ample turgor pressure will be firm....putting lettuce in water before preparing a salad will make it more crisp because the cells are firm due to turgor pressure. Now...what advantage is obtained by the water lily closing its flowers at night and opening them again the next morning?