Background Research

 There are approximately 375,000 types of plants in the world, and about 250,000 of them are flowering plants. Each flowering plant produces a substance called pollen that is the key feature to reproduction. According to Charles Darwin, every living thing on Earth today started with one common ancestor. So how, with so much variance in the plant kingdom, are they related? When looking at pollen and comparing similarities between color, texture, size, shape, and the number of apertures we can deduce where each plant roughly stems off on the phylogenetic tree. This is called pollen morphology. For our experiment we took three plants-the daisy, delphinium, and primrose- and compared and contrasted their pollen morphology.
 Bellis perennis, also known as the daisy, is commonly mistaken for a single flower. In reality this flower is actually made up of many smaller flowers and is classified as a compact flower. According to www.luontoportti.com, the daisy could come in a variety of red shades as well as violet or even pure white. It is a very common garden/lawn flower that has a modest and simple look, and according to www.pfaf.org they were often used as home remedies for wounds such as bruises and the leaves were often served in a salad dish.They are commonly pollinated by bees.
 Delphinium staphisagria, or the delphinium, are of the perennial variety with long stalks covered by small flowers that are most commonly blue, but also can come in shorter stalks and can be colored violet or pink as well. www.garden.org states that these plants are standard in English cottage gardens, making them a common sight. www.bhg.org says that they are a favorite flower with gardeners because of their beautiful look. They are commonly pollinated by hummingbirds.
 Primula vulgaris, more commonly known as the primrose, is a common plant throughout Europe. According to www.countrysideinfo.co.uk, the primrose is a very popular source of nectar for insects, especially those with long tongues. They come mostly with a five-pronged petal arrangement, often in a cream or yellow color. They are often pollinated by moths at night.