Day 296: Anybody want to hazard a guess as to why Lonicera involucrata's common name is "Twinberry?" I'll give you bonus points if you can name another common Lonicera, and you can win the grand prize if you can tell me the botanical term for the paired bracts immediately below the flowers/berries. Arnie, you'll have to be disqualified on the grounds of your professional standing. Sorry 'bout that.
This set of images has been a long time coming. For many years, the ripening of the berries served to remind me that I had forgotten to look for the yellow flowers in the spring. When I finally did get a photo of the paired flowers, I was deterred from going out to look for the twinned berries by the pandemic. You may notice that each tubular blossom has its own individual ovary ("inferior," i.e., at the base of the flower, as opposed to being inside the petals, "superior"). These ovaries are cupped by a pair of bracts (the involucre) which turns red later in the season, setting off the glossy black of the berries to best advantage. The fruit of this Honeysuckle relative is not poisonous, but neither is it desirable as a food. Birds and bears have been known to consume the berries, although they are not considered a primary food source for any species. However, Lonicera involucrata is shrubby, providing shelter and protection from predators for birds and small mammals.
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