A Pollination Paradox – When a Male Flower Becomes a Trap a Tiny Death Inside a Flower

Lessons from Arisaema murrayi var. sonubeniae...

In most flowering plants, pollination is a mutual exchange: an insect enters, collects or deposits pollen, and then exits to repeat the process elsewhere. When a male flower becomes a trap, flowers are only meant to shed pollen—they normally allow their pollinators to escape unharmed. While surveying Tambe forest this monsoon, I encountered a scene that still echoes in my mind: inside the hooded bloom of Arisaema murrayi var. sonubeniae—an endemic cobra lily of the region—lay a small fly, lifeless and dusted with pollen.

Arisaema murrayi var. sonubeniae, the Pink Cobra Lily is distinguished by its lavender-purple hood, distinct scarlet blotch, and its endemic distribution in NW Maharashtra, Western ghats.

This variety of Murray’s Cobra Lily is known for its sequential hermaphroditism: young plants start with male flowers, then shift to female or androgynous forms as they grow. However, during our surveys almost every sonubeniae we came across was bearing male flowers. Whether they will ever change sex—or complete their life cycle—remains a mystery. Yet here was this male flower—packed with stamens (male parts) only—that had trapped its pollinator permanently. Male flowers typically let flies exit, pollen-laden, to visit another bloom. But this time, the fly did not escape.

A fly trapped (and sacrificed its life) inside the floral chamber of Arisaema murrayi var. sonubeniae - a Near Threatened herb endemic to the Western Ghats. (Pic Credit: Lingeshwaran PK)

“Two minutes of silence for this brave little fly, who gave its life to ensure the next generation of Arisaema murrayi blooms. A true martyr in the botanical world.”

Was this fatal trap an evolutionary glitch—a failed release mechanism—or evidence of a more complex pollination syndrome in var. sonubeniae? Perhaps in certain microclimates or growth stages, even male spathes lack an exit.

This finding directly contradicts Suetsugu’s (2022) hypothesis that Arisaema traps—and kills—only within its female-phase flowers (“lethal attraction”), while male-phase blooms act as simple pollen dispensers. My record suggests that, at least in var. sonubeniae, even male flowers can function as lethal traps. Until we observe a true female-phase spathe of var. sonubeniae, the mechanisms—and evolutionary drivers—of this paradox remain an open question.

Why It Matters:

• Conservation status: Arisaema murrayi is Near Threatened; var. sonubeniae is newly described, has not been assessed for its threat status, and exists only in a handful of sacred groves and hill slopes in NW Maharashtra.

• Ecological insight: Tiny interactions—like a fly’s fatal visit—reveal the hidden costs of pollination, plant-pollinator mismatches, and the limits of deception in evolution.

• Broader lesson: Conservation can’t stop at species counts. We must protect interactions—the delicate exchanges in the undergrowth that sustain entire ecosystems.

As a plant researcher still learning the language of these forests, I walk away not with my observation and photo documentation, but with a story and a question: What if some flowers remain forever male, yet persist by this cruel trick? And what does that mean for the future of both- the plant and the pollinator? In the end, a tiny fly’s sacrifice beneath the canopy taught me the fragility and depth of nature—and reminded me that sometimes, the smallest moments hold the greatest truths.

-Lingesh

Male Floral Structures and Pollinator Interaction in Arisaema: Absence of Visible Female Zone The white to pale yellow stalked structure with multiple yellow lobes is a cluster of stamens — these are clearly male reproductive parts. The insect is positioned right near these stamens, likely dusted with pollen. However, there is no clear visual evidence of the female zone (pistils or ovaries) in this particular photo — which would appear as small, ovate to cylindrical structures usually located at the base of the spadix.  (Pic Credit: Lingeshwaran PK)

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Ref:

Tetali, P., Punekar, S. A., & Lakshminarasimhan, P. (2004). A new variety of Arisaema (Araceae) from Western Ghats of India (NGCPR). Kew Bulletin, 59(3), 483–487.

Suetsugu, K. (2022). Arisaema: Pollination by lethal attraction. Plants, People, Planet, 4(3), 196-200.