An unusual inflorescence position - internodal flowers

For many years I have been aware and have shown to numerous people tomato flowers - Solanum lycopersicum, which have an unusual inflorescence position (see the photo).

I made a special effort to search through the various other species and genera of Solanacea, checking for this anomalous condition. I found none. My further thought was: does this occur in any other group of plants? And none came to my attention, until a few days ago we were walking in the orchard and scrutinizing some vigorous weedy plants, and suddenly it became evident that we were seeing the same structure that I have been looking for many years. This plant was Phytolacca americana, family Phytolaccaceae (see the photo).

Now I am curious if there are more plants of this nature in the world flora.

Inadvertent pollination

Cordyline stricta - slender palm lily is an infrequent ornamental plant in our locality, and it is the only one I know of in the Agavaceae family and in related families that is colored, otherwise they are while or cream, with the exception of Hesperaloe parviflora, which flowers are red. I have a plant of Cordyline stricta in my yard close to our front door. There one limb has intruded into the normal pathway into the house. In a last two years it has made fruit. However this fruiting occurred only on this branch that is permanently disturbed by people entering the house. This branch has been about the only one of several inflorescences up higher that set fruit. No flower-visiting insects have been observed. So, it looks like the inadvertent fruit set is caused by trauma resulting from passing people.

Enygmatic stylops (Strepsiptera)

Strepsiptera - twisted-winged parasites have held my curiosity for many years. Now when the more recent work has been highly definitive many of their secrets were disclosed. This fascination I thought would be worth of sharing with you. Stylops are mostly endoparasites (internal), although there are a few free-living forms. Since I was young I have heard of these animals and I always wanted to see one, but as yet I never had. Entomologists have told me that they have seen a little protrusion between the abdominal segments of bees, which I have searched for in vain.
For those of you, who are interested Wikipedia gives a very thorough description of the unusual features and detailed life history of these animals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strepsiptera

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