Fringy flowers are hard to dunk

What good is fringe to a flower? People have traditionally considered fringe as merely part of the display for pollinators, says Joseph E. Armstrong of Illinois State University in Normal. It does enhance the flower’s visual appeal, but Armstrong is convinced that fringe has another role.

HAIRY FLOATER. The fringe on a water snowflake flower makes it less likely to get soggy and turn off pollinators.