Plant Families and Pollination Ecology PDF

Sexual Manipulators and Drug Dealers – UV Spectrum Nectar (maybe) – Drugs o Pheromones and Fragrance « Violence! Pollination Ecology ❖ Pollinators have coevolved with plants. Twenty thousand bee species among current-day pollinators. Bee-pollinated flowers: – – Generally brightly colored, mostly blu...

Sexual Manipulators and Drug Dealers – UV Spectrum Nectar (maybe) – Drugs o Pheromones and Fragrance « Violence! Pollination Ecology ❖ Pollinators have coevolved with plants. Twenty thousand bee species among current-day pollinators. Bee-pollinated flowers: – – Generally brightly colored, mostly blue or yellow Often have lines or other distinctive markings, which may function as honey guides to lead bees to nectar. o Bees see UV light (humans do not). « Some flower markings visible only in UV light. In ordinary light In UV light Vegas Baby! ❖ UV Spectrum Vegas Baby! ❖ UV Spectrum Vegas Baby! ❖ UV Spectrum Pollination Ecology ❖ Beetle-pollinated flowers: Strong, yeasty, spicy or fruity odor White or dull in color - Beetles do have keen visual senses. Some do not secrete nectar, but furnish pollen or food on petals in special storage cells. Pollination Ecology ❖ Fly-pollinated flowers: Smell like rotten meat Dull red or brown Odiferous Botanical Trickery! ❖ Pelican Plant (Aristolochia grandiflora) Odiferous Botanical Trickery! ❖ Dead Horse Aurum (Helicodiceros muscivorus) Smells of rotting flesh Lay eggs that never get to become a blowfly Thermal Botanical Trickery! ❖ Arum or Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) Warm blooded?? Thermal Botanical Trickery! ❖ A Brazilian philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum ) Warm blooded?? Pollination Ecology ❖ Butterfly- and moth-pollinated flowers: Often have sweet fragrances White or yellow for night-flying moths Sometimes red, often blue, yellow or orange for butterflies Nectaries at bases of corolla tubes or spurs for long tongues. Pollination Ecology Bird-pollinated flowers (hummingbirds and sunbirds): ❖ Often bright red or yellow Little if any odor - Birds do not have a keen sense of smell. Large and part of sturdy inflorescence Copious amounts of nectar - Birds highly active. Long floral tubes Pollination Ecology ❖ Bat-pollinated flowers: Primarily in tropics Open at night when bats are foraging Dull in color Large enough for bat to insert head or consist of ball-like inflorescence containing large numbers of small flowers Pollination Ecology ❖ Orchid flowers: Have pollinators among all types mentioned Some of adaptations between orchid flowers and pollinators are extraordinary. Pollen grains produced in little sacs called pollinia (singular: pollinium) with sticky pads at base. Members of Ophrys have modified petal that resembles female bumble bee or wasp. – Male bees or wasps try to copulate with flower. o Pollinia deposited on their head. Drug Dealers ❖ Caffeine Used to give bees a buzz Helps make a faithful “hooked” pollinator Drug Dealers ❖ Nectar (not a drug) Highly nutritious Hummingbirds and Heliconia sp. – Just enough nectar production Botanical Trickery ❖ Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) Instigators! ❖ Naughty Orchids Resemble aggressive bee Ouch! ❖ Some plants beat their pollinators into submission Warty Hammer Orchid Common Plant Families ❖ Magnoliaceae (Magnolia) ❖ ❖ ❖ Juglandaceae (Walnut) ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ Cactaceae (Cactus) Brassicaceae (Mustard) Cucurbitaceae (Pumpkin) Asteraceae (Sunflower) ❖ Poaceae (Grass) ❖ Orchidaceae (orchid) ❖ Agavaceae (agave) Rosaceae (Rose) Fabaceae (Pea) Solanaceae (Potato) Family Magnoliaceae (Magnolias) Family Magnoliaceae (Magnolias) Family Juglandaceae (Walnut) Family Cactaceae (Cactus) Cactaceae Diversity Family Cactaceae (Cactus) Family Brassicaceae (Mustard) Family Brassicaceae (Mustard) Family Rosaceae (Rose) Family Rosaceae (Rose) Family Fabaceae (Pea/Legume) Family Fabaceae (Pea/Legume) Family Solanaceae (Potato) Family Cucurbitaceae (Pumpkin) Family Cucurbitaceae (Pumpkin) Family Asteraceae (Sunflower) Family Asteraceae (Sunflower) Family Poaceae (Grass) Family Poaceae (Grass) Family Orchidaceae (orchid) Family Orchidaceae (orchid) Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus) Family Orchidaceae (orchid) Family Agavaceae (agave)