Andrea B. Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Just some notes from:Understanding Flowers & Flowering, 2nd Ed.by Beverley GloverOxford University Press, 2014 I like this book and have ordered it. Earliest flowers are believed to have been pollinated by beetles. QUESTION for UVP: Do UV-signatures correlate with any of these syndromes? We have certainly seen that many tubal, bird-pollinated species do not have a patterned UV-signature. See some of Dave's Eremophila for example. Wind (anemophily)most common abiotic methodcommon cause of allergiesgrasses, conifersWater (hydrophily)aquatic, pollen released into water and carried by currentsaquatic plants also insect-pollinated.flowers small, inconspicuous, many pollen grains, large feathery stigmasBeetle (cantharophily)Earliest flowers are believed to have been pollinated by beetles.flowers large, greenish or off-white, heavily scented, flattened or dish-shapedHowever, I have a personal observation of many very brightly coloured, non-flatcactus flowers full of beetles.Fly (myophily or saprophily)flies persist thru all seasons, light weight, do not feed offspringmyo - feed on nectar/pollen as adults, purple/violet/blue/white, not strongly scentedsapro - uncommon, feed on flowers which mimic dead or dung smellscarrot family, groudsel, daisies, fatsiaBee (melittophily)bee actively collects pollen & nectar for diet, high energy requirement,can detect but not "see" red, long tongued, feed offspring,large/heavy so flowers usually quite large with landing platformwasp takes some nectar but does not collectflower large with landing platform, often closed & deep, bright yellows & blues but red/pink alsosnapdragons, foxgloves, lamiumButterfly (psychophily) [psycho??]bfly diurnal, light weight, long tongued, can see red, do not feed offspringflower has flat landing platform, deep tubes, scented, brightly coloured,reds & yellows predominate. Others say pink or lavendar. More nectar than pollen.daisies, buddleiaMoth (phalaeno- or sphingophily)moth nocturnal/crepuscular, heavy, high energy requirement, good sense of smellflower high nectar, longer nectar spurs, bilaterally symmetric,open corolla tube, petal lobes bent backwards, closes during day,opens at night, white or cream so stands out in dark, strong evening scentgardenia, some honeysucklesBird (ornithophily)hummingbird, African sunbirds, lorikeets, honey-creepers go for nectarflower brush-like or tubular with nectar in spurs, strong & tough, lots of concentrated nectar,usually red with yellow contrasting marks, low scent or odorlesshummer flowers pendant or have free front space for hoveringsunbird flowers have nectary facing perchred columbine, passion flower, hibiscus, eucalyptusBat (chiropterophily)1/4 of all bats use flowers for food, drink nectar, large & heavybats echo-locate, see or smell flowers, have good spatial memoryflower large & strong, often saucer- or bell-shaped, white or light,night opening, strong odors, bigger pollenDeceit Pollinationflowers mimic a female pollinator or its sexual parts to lure in love hungry males.Some photos and a funny write-up: http://www.smithsoni...6041365/?no-ist Link to comment
colinbm Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 That is making a good start AndreaCol Link to comment
JCDowdy Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Interesting, never heard of pollination syndromes before.Water pollination (hydrophily), Beetle pollination (cantharophily), from Wikipedia: Pollination syndromeDeceit Pollination: Mimicry between rewarding and non-rewarding flowers to deceive pollinators. The USDA Forestry Service says, " Beetles comprise the largest set of pollinating animals, due to sheer numbers. They are responsible for pollinating 88% of the 240,000 flowering plants globally." So apparently the beetles are still top of the charts! Link to comment
Andrea B. Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Well, there it all was right in the Wicked. I guess these days we don't need to look in actual books !!!!Anyway, I can update my reference list. Here's a funny write-up. Seems that nature is always playing tricks on unsuspecting males.http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/picture-of-the-week-daisy-wears-spots-woos-pollinators-36041365/?no-ist Link to comment
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