spurs
English (thorough explanation)
1) What spurs are (in plant biology)
In botany, spurs are long, narrow, tube-like extensions of a flower that usually contain nectar.
They are most often found on:
- petals, or
- sepals
Their main function is to store nectar deep inside the flower.
2) What spurs do (their biological purpose)
Spurs help plants control which animals can pollinate them.
Because nectar is hidden deep inside the spur:
- Only pollinators with long mouthparts (e.g., moths, butterflies, hummingbirds) can reach it
- Short-tongued insects are excluded
This increases pollination efficiency and reduces wasted pollen.
3) Spurs and pollination (key concept)
Spurs are a classic example of plant–pollinator co-evolution.
- Flower develops longer spurs
- Pollinator evolves longer proboscis / beak
- Both benefit → mutualism (+ / +)
This is especially common in moth-pollinated flowers.
4) Common plants with spurs
- Columbine
- Larkspur
- Many orchids
- Violets
- Some snapdragons
In these plants, spur length often matches the pollinator’s tongue length.
5) Easy way to visualize
Think of a spur as:
a nectar straw built into the flower
The nectar is not at the surface—it’s hidden at the tip of the spur.
6) Do not confuse with other meanings
The word spur can also mean:
- a metal spike worn on a boot (cowboy spur)
- something that encourages action (“spur someone on”)
⚠️ In biology, spur means a flower structure, not any of the above.
中文（详细解释）
1）spurs（花距）是什么意思
在植物学中，花距是指： 花朵上细长的管状延伸结构， 通常用来储存花蜜。
它可能来自：
- 花瓣
- 或萼片
2）花距的作用
花距的作用是筛选传粉者：
- 花蜜藏得很深
-
只有口器较长的动物才能吸到
-
蛾
- 蝴蝶
- 蜂鸟
这样可以：
- 提高传粉准确性
- 减少“白吃花蜜”的昆虫
3）花距与协同进化（考试重点）
花距是协同进化的经典例子：
- 花距变长
- 传粉者口器变长
- 双方都获益 → 互利共生（+ / +）
在蛾类传粉植物中尤为常见。
4）常见有花距的植物
- 耧斗菜（columbine）
- 飞燕草（larkspur）
- 多种兰花
- 紫罗兰
5）记忆技巧
花距 = 花朵自带的“吸管”
6）常见误区
❌ 花距 = 花刺 ❌ 花距 = 动物的刺
✅ 花距 = 储存花蜜的细长结构
If you want, I can next:
- compare spurs vs nectaries
- link spur length to specific pollinators (exam examples)
- or turn this into a Science 10 bilingual flashcard / HTML study page
