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From: Tom Ogren
(Sun Feb 15 20:53:49 2004)
Lemon Bottlebrush, Calistemon citrinus, is an Australian native that is now a very common shrub or small tree in many gardens in the southern states. Bottlebrush is also sometimes used as a large houseplant.
The large red flower in this photo is actually a collection of many flowers and on the tip of each bright red stamen is an anther filled with thousands of microscopic sized pollen grains. Bottlebrush is a myrtle family member and like most in this group, it has pollen grains that are triangular in shape. With this species each tip of the triangle of the grain is needle sharp. This pollen will not travel far (pollen dispersal), does not move well in the wind, but it can and will stick to anything it comes in contact with. As a result the family dog or cat can easily pick up these pollen grains and bring them inside. The grains are small enough to easily pass through the tightest window screens, so do NOT grow this one next to a bedroom window! Pollen from bottlebrush is explosively allergenic, and a direct snif of one of these flowers will often trigger a serious, long-lasting attack of asthma.
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