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Photo
 | | A fat bumblebee wades through the bright yellow flower heads of a St. Johnswort, or Hypericum perforatum, as it gathers nectar and pollen. The "wort" in the flower's name comes the Old English word "wyrt," and simply means plant. In this photo, the bumblebee's hind legs are fat with pollen. This is a good indicator that the bee is in fact a bumblebee, as only the female bumblebee's hind legs have a corbicula or a pollen basket. Only three other bees have pollen baskets: honeybees, stingless and orchid bees. The parking turnout near the Richardson Gorge Bridge at Lake Moomaw had St. Johnswort plants blooming all along its fringe. All were abuzz with the sounds of bumblebees, who leave a scent after they visit a flower, though they will come back to these same flowers every day, and they can and do visit flowers more than a mile away from their small colony's nest. Bumblebees, known for their size and loud buzzing, can fly as fast as 33 miles per hour. St. Johnswort gets its common name from John the Baptist, whose birth is celebrated on June 24, near the time the flower begins to bloom. The bloom period is from June to September. (Recorder staff photo by Cynthia B. Coleman) |
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