Skunk is a weird plant. Its flower can heat up, making the temperature in the flower higher than the ambient temperature by about 20 degrees. So you can see many photos of this flower coming out of the ice, or the snow next to it. All I know is another type of flower that is hot, the lotus (lotus).

If you are discovering this phenomenon for the first time, congratulations, you can publish a  paper in Science:

Knutson, Roger M. 1974 Heat production and temperature regulation in Eastern skunk cabbage. Science 186: 746-747.

This is actually the Eastern Stinkbug, because there is also a Western Stinkbug in the United States. Oriental stinkbugs are distributed in “North America, Central to Northern Japan, Siberia, Ussuri River Basin, and Jilin Province and Heilongjiang Province of China. They grow in areas between 100 and 300 meters above sea level, and are often found in humid coniferous and mixed forests. Now, it has not been cultivated by artificial introduction. “(Chinese Wiki).

In fact, cultivation is not difficult. I planted one next to the garage. It’s been alive for four years.

This plant is also very important in Michigan because it has a lot of pollen and blooms early. Time later than saffron. The Indians eat the young leaves of this plant. Be careful to cook and remove the water first. They contained high oxalic acid. You may get holy (kidney stones) once you eat it. The leaves also have a bad smell, hence it gains the name.

I have taken many pictures of stink bugs before, but no bees. Later, I asked a professor in the department where there was a large piece of this flower. Finally took some photos of honeybee on it. Photos were taken at 2014.4.23 and it was not far from Michigan State University. The place is in the woods next to that professor’s house.

1. Stinkbugs grow mostly in swamps. They usually grow togather. It is estimated that it can exclude other plants.

2. Its flowers are ugly, that’s it. In fact, with taro, calla (but not lotus!) Is the same family. Their leaves barely came out, and the flowers were in bloom. It smells like garlic. The flowers are first male. After the pollen is released, each piece becomes a stigma and receives pollen. But bees like it, and I have to like it too.

3. A honeybee is here.

4. The honeybee collects pollen in the flowers. The bee buzzed. I photographed there for 1.5 hours and saw at least 30 different bees picking 50 flowers at the same time.

5. Infrared camera, semi-transparent look, isn’t it beautiful?

6. The same flower, with normal colors on the left and photos under ultraviolet light on the right. The entire flower absorbs ultraviolet light so it is darker in color.