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UltravioletPhotography

Reference: Types of Pollination


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Just some notes from:

Understanding Flowers & Flowering, 2nd Ed.

by Beverley Glover

Oxford 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 method
  • common cause of allergies
  • grasses, conifers

Water (hydrophily)

  • aquatic, pollen released into water and carried by currents
  • aquatic plants also insect-pollinated.
  • flowers small, inconspicuous, many pollen grains, large feathery stigmas

Beetle (cantharophily)

  • Earliest flowers are believed to have been pollinated by beetles.
  • flowers large, greenish or off-white, heavily scented, flattened or dish-shaped
  • However, I have a personal observation of many very brightly coloured, non-flat
    cactus flowers full of beetles.

Fly (myophily or saprophily)

  • flies persist thru all seasons, light weight, do not feed offspring
  • myo - feed on nectar/pollen as adults, purple/violet/blue/white, not strongly scented
  • sapro - uncommon, feed on flowers which mimic dead or dung smells
  • carrot family, groudsel, daisies, fatsia

Bee (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 platform
  • wasp takes some nectar but does not collect
  • flower large with landing platform, often closed & deep, bright yellows & blues but red/pink also
  • snapdragons, foxgloves, lamium

Butterfly (psychophily) [psycho??]

  • bfly diurnal, light weight, long tongued, can see red, do not feed offspring
  • flower has flat landing platform, deep tubes, scented, brightly coloured,
    reds & yellows predominate. Others say pink or lavendar. More nectar than pollen.
  • daisies, buddleia

Moth (phalaeno- or sphingophily)

  • moth nocturnal/crepuscular, heavy, high energy requirement, good sense of smell
  • flower 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 scent
  • gardenia, some honeysuckles

Bird (ornithophily)

  • hummingbird, African sunbirds, lorikeets, honey-creepers go for nectar
  • flower brush-like or tubular with nectar in spurs, strong & tough, lots of concentrated nectar,
    usually red with yellow contrasting marks, low scent or odorless
  • hummer flowers pendant or have free front space for hovering
  • sunbird flowers have nectary facing perch
  • red columbine, passion flower, hibiscus, eucalyptus

Bat (chiropterophily)

  • 1/4 of all bats use flowers for food, drink nectar, large & heavy
  • bats echo-locate, see or smell flowers, have good spatial memory
  • flower large & strong, often saucer- or bell-shaped, white or light,
    night opening, strong odors, bigger pollen

Deceit Pollination

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Interesting, never heard of pollination syndromes before.

Water pollination (hydrophily), Beetle pollination (cantharophily), from Wikipedia: Pollination syndrome

Deceit 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!

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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

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