Question: Rubus chamaemorus carpellate flowers in coastal Washington County, Maine. What are the small structures around the base of the immature …
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Question
Rubus chamaemorus carpellate flowers in coastal Washington County, Maine. What are the small structures around the base of the immature aggregate fruit?
Answer
Thokozile, the structures are asking about are stamens. I'm guessing that you are wondering why stamens would also be present in the flower of this species (a species with unisexual flowers), but they are usually present in the carpellate flowers. However, they never appear to be functional stamens in my experience with this plant (i.e., they are small and I've yet to see them dehisce and shed pollen). There are many examples of flowers that are "functionally unisexual" because they contain both stamens and carpels, but one of these series of parts is sterile. I hope this helps.
