Isithombe: Ama-Pollinators at Play in a Coneflower Meadow

Ukukhanya okukhanyayo kombala kugcwalisa ifreyimu: ingadi yasehlobo ephilayo enezimbali ze-coneflower (Echinacea) eziqhakaza kakhulu kanye nomsebenzi omningi we-pollinator. Ukwakheka kugxile ezihlahleni zezimbali eziningana ezinde, ngayinye inekhanda elinjenge-daisy—amacembe azacile aphuma ezigangeni eziphakeme, ezinama-bristly. Imibala yepetal ishintsha ngenjabulo isuka ku-strawberry pink kanye ne-watermelon magenta iye kwi-coral efudumele, i-tangerine orange, kanye nephuzi elibhotela, okubomvu okwegazi okujulile phakathi nendawo. Izigaxa ngokwazo zakha ama-mosaic aminyene, ambozekile ezimbali, amathoni awo ukusuka ku-russet kuya kwe-amber abamba okuvelele okufana nobuhlalu bengilazi obuncane. Imithambo igijima ubude bamacembe, inikeze ukuthungwa okusilika okwenza ukukhanya kwasemini okugqamile kucishe kukhanye ezihlokweni.

Ukunyakaza kwenza indawo iphile. Uvemvane olunamaphiko anombala osawolintshi namnyama—olusemaphethelweni amhlophe—luhlezi phezu kwesinye sezimbali ezinde ezinde, amaphiko ame njengokungathi ahlezi phansi. Eduze kwayo, izinyosi zigada isichibi ngezigaba ezihlukene zokundiza: ezinye zindiza njengokufiphala okuthambile, ezinye zibambelele ezigabeni ezinemilenze efiphele efakwe impova. Ukuma kwazo okuhlukahlukene—okukodwa okuphakathi nendawo, okunye okujikijelwe ku-disk florets, okunye kungqubuzana phakathi kwezimbali—kudala isigqi esithambile esidonsa iso ngamaluphu esithombeni. Ukuhamba kwezinambuzane kugcizelela injongo yezemvelo ngemuva kobuhle: inhloko yembali ngayinye iyisidlo esicebile sompe nempova, isitobhi esibalulekile emijikelezweni yansuku zonke yabathuthi bempova basengadini.

Ukujula kwenkambu kusetshenziselwa umphumela wokugubha. Izimbali zangaphambili zihunyushwa ngemininingwane ecacile—izimbali ngazinye, ama-petal striations, kanye nesithunzi esicashile ngaphansi kwekhoni ngayinye konke kuyafundeka—kuyilapho ingemuva lincibilika libe yimfunda ethambile yombala. Amadiski angagxilile awolintshi nokuphuzi asho ukukhukhuleka okukhulu kwama-coneflower ngale kohlaka, okukhulisa umuzwa wokuchichima. Ingemuva elikuhlaza, eliphawulwe ngamanye ama-perennials ehlobo, linikeza ukugqama okupholile okwenza imibala efudumele idlidlize.

Ukukhanya kuyakhanya kodwa kuyathopha, kuphakamisa umoya ocacile, owomile kanye nesibhakabhaka cishe phezulu. Imiphetho ye-petal ekhanyayo iyakhanya; izithunzi ziba mfushane futhi zithambe, ziboleka ukuzungeza kumacones futhi zigcizelele ukuzungeza kwawo kwejiyomethri. Lapho ukukhanya kugwedla emaphikweni ovemvane, iphethini iba njengetshe eliyigugu; lapho echibiyela khona emakhoneni, amawolintshi ajula abe yithusi kanye ne-mahogany. Umphumela uyathinteka—umuntu angacishe ezwe ukufudumala kwamakhanda ezimbali futhi ezwe indiza ephansi, enganyakazi yezinyosi ezifuna ukudla.

Ukutshala kufundeka njengokuklanywa kanye nemvelo. Iziqu ziphakama ngokuphakama okuthe ukuhluka kancane, okwenza isixha sezimbali sibe sihle. Umbala uhlangana ngokukhululekile—obomvana eduze kwegolide, obomvu ngemuva kwebhilikosi—kodwa ukuphindaphinda kwesakhiwo kugcina isehlakalo sihambisana. Isikhathi saphakathi nehlobo esibalulekile lapho izitshalo ezikhula minyaka yonke zinezwi eligcwele: ziqinile, ziyaphana, ziyakhuthazela. Shiya lezi zigaxa ukuze zivuthwe futhi zizodla izintaka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngenkathi; ngoba manje bondla umoya ngokunyakaza kanye nengadi ngenjongo.

Sekukonke, lesi sithombe sithwebula ukuhlangana okuphilayo kobuhle nokusebenza. Amacembe agqamile, izigaxa zezakhiwo, nokuhlela okunenjongo kwabathuthi bempova kuhlangana kube isithombe sesimiso semvelo engadini enempilo—ephilayo, eshukumisayo, nenyakazayo nokuphila.

Isithombe sihlobene: 12 Izinhlobo Ezinhle Ze-coneflower Zokuguqula Ingadi Yakho