Neil Aldridge / Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer) on Pincushion protea (Leucospermum sp) in the Cape Floral Kingdom, Cape Town, South Africa. Endemic.

Neil Aldridge / Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer) feeding on a Pincushion protea (Leucospermum sp) in the Cape Floral Kingdom, Cape Town, South Africa. Endemic to the fynbos region of South Africa.

Jan Vermeer / Rose (Rosa sp) and Aster (Asteraceae) flowers

Paul Harcourt Davies / Floral colour in fields on the Piano Grande from Poppies (Papaver rhoeas), Cornflowers (Centaurea), Mustard (Brassica) and Mayweed (Anthemis), Umbria, Italy, June

Heather Angel / Lily (Lilium lophophorum) flowers. Tepals fused at tips to protects floral parts from precipitation, slits allow access to pollinators. Mugecuo Scenic Area, Kangding, Sichuan Province, China. June.

Heather Angel / Handkerchief / Dove tree (Davidia involucrata), male inflorescence enclosed by bracts which act as an umbrella to prevent rain spoiling pollen. Endemic to Sichuan, north west Yunnan, Guizhou and Hubei...

Juergen Freund / Snowflake moray eel (Echidna nebulosa) peeping from inside a discarded ghost net on a coral reef, Sulawesi, Indonesia. November.

Marie Read / Backyard setup for photographing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilocus colubris) in summer, New York, USA. A natural food plant (cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)) in a floral tube of water is tie...

Marie Read / Backyard setup for photographing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilocus colubris) in summer, New York, USA. A medical syringe is used to inject a few drops of sugar solution into the flower (set up in...

Ernie Janes / Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' in border, Norfolk, England, UK. September.

Ashley Cooper / Hyacinth fields near Keukenhof, Lisse, Netherlands.

Constantinos Petrinos / Floral decoration surrounding epitaph in Greek Orthodox Church of Saint John the Baptist, on the morning of Good Friday. Spetses Island, Aegean Sea, Greece, Mediterranean, April 2009