Pollination Biology or Ecology Including examples from local flora and David Attenborough’s Private Life of Plants Abiotic Pollination - uses a nonliving vector Usually considered to be a metabolically wasteful process Two types: 1. Anemophily- “wind lover”= wind pollination 2. Hydrophily- “water lover” = water pollination Anemophily -major type of abiotic pollination Usual Floral Morphology - incomplete flowers that often lack perianth - color and scent lacking - flowers in inflorescences elevated above the vegetation - flowers often open before leaves are produced - large quantities of smooth, dry pollen produced Hydrophily - rarer type of abiotic pollination Usual Floral Morphology: Example of Families with Hydrophily Ceratophyllaceae (Coon-tail) Pg 529-530 SMIFNCT - mostly asexually reproduces by fragmentation - during sexual reproduction, anthers break off and float to surface releasing pollen that sinks to the female flowers that grow under the water - rare pollination in one of the most primitive groups magnoliophytes Invertebrate Pollinators -Beetles (Coleopterophily) Usual Floral Morphology: Examples of plant families with Coleopterophily Magnoliaceae Magnolia -radial symmetry with many free parts and lots pollen -mutualism Examples of plant families with Coleopterophily Some species in Nymphaceae Nymphaea Pgs. 101, 842-845 SMIFNCT -mutualistic Examples of plant families with Coleopterophily Papaveraceae Pgs. 872-877 SMIFNCT Argemone (prickly poppy) -mutualistic Invertebrate Pollinators -Bees and Wasps (Hymenopterophily) Bee Pollination (Melittophily = “bee lover”) -20,000 different species of bee pollinators Usual Floral Morphology: -some with spurs to hold nectar and oil (oil collecting bee with hairy legs that pollinates wild snapdragon in South Africa on Private Life of Plants video) Examples of Melittophily Scrophulariaceae Penstemon including P. cobaea Pgs. 102, 1006-1007 SMIFNCT -sterile stamen that is pubescent called a staminode gives them their common name beardtongue -bilabiate with staminode acting like a “tail hook” for bees -white to lavender-blue corolla with purple and UV nectar guides -mutualistic Examples of Melittophily Fabaceae Lupinus texensis bluebonnet SMIFNCT Pgs. 97, 671-673 -blue papillonaceous flowers -mutualistic Acacia farnesiana huisache SMIFNCT Pgs. 624, 627 -small regular flowers in a head with 20-40 yellow stamens per flower -bees use stamens as a tailhook and use buzz pollination to Remove pollen from stamens like the bees did with South African gentian on Private Life of Plants video -mutualistic Examples of Melittophily Orchidaceae Calopogon tuberosus Pgs. 1214,1217 SMIFNCT -Thien & Marcks (Canadian Journal of Botany1972) found that the brush of hairs on the lip apparently serves as a "pseudopollen" lure, attracting naive, recently emerged bumblebees. The bees, expecting a reward of nectar and/or pollen, land on the hairs. At this point, the hinged labellum swings down under the weight of the bee and positions the bee on the column, where pollinia can be placed on its back. If the bee already carries pollinia, it will contact the stigma and thus pollinate the plant. -deceit pollination or parasitism Examples of Melittophily Orchidaceae Private Life of Plants video South African orchids offer inedible oil that bees use to make phermones that attract female bees. Each species of bee has its own species of orchid that it uses to make its own “brand” of perfume. In the process of gathering oil, pollinia are attached for cross pollination. -mutualism European bee mimic orchids use mimicry and deceit pollination. Flowers are bilateral, hairy, and colored and smell like a female bee. When they try and mate with the flower pollinia are attached for cross pollination. -deceit pollination or parasitism Invertebrate Pollinators -Bees and Wasps (Hymenopterophily) Wasps Floral morphology is highly variable. Examples from Private Life of Plants video from Australia Ficus sps. (figs) Pgs. 829-830 SMIFNCT -flowers enclosed in inflorescence have eggs that hatch and males mate with females and die. Females leave inflorescence and lay eggs in another inflorescence insuring cross pollination -mutualism Hammer orchids mimic female wingless wasps. As male tries to fly away and mate with bilateral, hairy mimic, pollinia are attached -deceit pollination or parasitism Invertebrate Pollinators -Butterflies and Moths (Lepidopterophily) Floral Morphologies: Butterfly Moth Examples of butterfly pollinated plants Justicia Pgs 213, 215 SMIFNCT -mutualism Mountain Pride Butterfly from South Africa on Private Lives of Plants video pollinates tubular red flowers of : Crassulaceae- Crassula with red tubular flower on video Iridaceae- Gladiolus with red tubular flower on video Orchidaceae- Red orchid at base of waterfall that attached pollinia onto butterfly -all mutualistic Examples of moth pollinated plants Liliaceae (Agavaceae on pgs. 108, 1082-1085 SMIFNCT) Yucca -carries balls of pollen from one plant to another and cross-pollinates flowers. Lays eggs in one locule of ovary and larvae consume seeds that develop there. Other 2/3s of seeds are dispersed. -mutualistic Examples of moth pollinated plants Onagraceae Oenothera Pgs. 101, 862-865 SMIFNCT -mutualism Solanaceae Datura Pgs. 87, 1018-1021 SMIFNCT -mutualism Vertebrate Pollinators -rarer than invertebrates -mainly birds and bats -in Private Life of Plants video, mice pollinate downward growing flowers of African Protea and lemurs with long tongues and hands pollinate stout, tubular flowers of Madagascar Traveler’s Palm -in New Zealand flowering plants, because there are no native mammals except bats, reptiles, such as geckos serve as pollinators Vertebrate Pollinators Usual Floral Morphology: Birds (Ornithophily) Examples of Ornithophily Scrophulariaceae Penstemon red beardtongue of Southwest USA -mutualism with hummingbirds Examples of Ornithophily Fabaceae Erythrina coral bean Pg. 89, 658-659 -mutualism with hummingbirds Examples of Ornithophily Ranunculaceae Aquilegia red columbine Pgs. 78, 918-920 -mutualism with hummingbirds Examples of Ornithophily Private Life of Plants video 1. Stained or scarlet-glass window plant of South America with red patches in leaves and reduced flowers 2. Proteas and aloes in South Africa with red or red-orange, tubular corollas 3. Kangaroo Paw plant of Australia brushes pollen on the honey eater bird as it harvests nectar from bilateral flowers Bat Pollination (Chiropterophily) Usual Floral Morphology: Examples of Chiropterophily Cactaceae -mutualism with Saguaro or Organ-pipe cacti of southwestern USA -pollinated by nectar feeding bats that migrate along the path of the blooming cacti. Examples of Chiropterophily Example from Private Life of Plants video Durion Tree of Borneo (south Thailand in Indian Ocean) is pollinated by fruit bats
