AusBonsai

I have just watched these pines transform over the last month or so and am trying to understand what I am seeing.

I am wondering which of the following is correct.

The yellow flowers are the male?
The purple cone like things are female?
The purple cone like things are actually cones which have already been pollinated and if so are the pollinated before the candle shoots them up higher than the male flowers.

It would make sense that the last is more likely as it would be harder for pollination to happen now as the male flowers seem spent and the female flowers ( or cones) seem fresh.

I hope this is not confusing and someone can shead some light

squizz

Squizz, it's an evolutionary adaptation to increase the odds of pollination from a different tree. Pine pollen is distributed by wind and different pollinators ensure genetic diversity within the species.
Wood
http://thingsofwood-gary.blogspot.com/

so does that make the purple things female flowers or cones?

Squizz, the purple "things" are flowers, the receptive,female part. They will be, are, cones that bear the seeds'
Wood
http://thingsofwood-gary.blogspot.com/

cheers

maybe this will help in pollination process
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NoPDJB8bQc

after that u will have to introduce pollen into the bag..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq39gEDD ... ure=relmfu