Hummingbird flowers, hummingbirds

In general, pollinators visit one or a limited number of species at one time. Such fidelity is guaranteed by the plant s morphology, odor, and color. Olfactory cues will be discussed later under terpenes (Chapter 19). Many plants are pollinated only by one vector and are characteristically known as bee flowers or butterfly flowers or hummingbird flowers. This mutual coadaptation has many benefits for both the plant and the animal. 

The observations described can in no way be considered evidence for the co-evolution between 5. divinorum and a species of hummingbird, especially in light of the many supposed melittophilous salvias that are visited by these opportunistic birds (Reisfield 1987). Still, dimensions of the corolla, nectar constituents, and the amount of nectar produced per flower, all suggest the omithophilous syndrome. On the other hand. 

Figure 22.1 Examples from two conceptual axes of interactions between flowers and their animal visitors. Axis 1 is a specialization-generalization spectrum of plant-pollinator interactions. Panel A depicts a guild of red Chilean flowers that share one species of hummingbird as a pollinator. In Panel D, a Perideridia umbel is visited by several families of bees, wasps and flies most are effective pollinators. Axis 2 describes relationships in which animals visit flowers for their own reproductive purposes. In panel B, a female Tegiticula moth gathers pollen from anthers of Yucca filamentosa, for which it is both obligate pollinator and seed predator. In panel C, a Drosophila fly (black arrow) is lured by appearance and smell of decaying matter to a deceptive Aristolochia flower, seen in cross-section. Floral scent plays diverse roles along these axes, including pollinator attraction in food- and sex-based mimicry. All photographs were taken by the author.

Lobelia s numerous species of annual and perennial flowers offer gardeners a broad array of plant heights and flower types. Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis), perhaps the best-known species, features spikes of brilliant red, 3-lobed flowers that hummingbirds find irresistible. Other species bear star-shaped blooms in shades of blue and lavender lobelias with red or bronze foliage are also available. Plants grow 2-5 tall with a spread of about 2. ... 

Brightly colored, spidery flower heads and dense, dark green, aromatic foliage attract gardeners to these native plants. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies are also drawn to bee balms blossoms, especially the red ones. Plants form dense clumps, 2-5 tall and 3 wide the mintlike foliage remains attractive after flowers fade. 

Hummingbird Heliconia flowers, lupine bluebonnets, and snapdragons... 

Nearly 200000 animal species play roles in poflinating the 250 000 species of wild flowering plants on our planet [12]. Among them, about 1500 species of vertebrates such as birds (e.g. hummingbirds) and mammals (e.g. bats, lemurs) serve as pollinators [12]. However, the main pollinators are insects they include bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, beetles and so on. Bees are the most efficient and the only dependable pollinators, because they visit flowers methodically to collect nectar and pollen and do not destroy the flower or the plant in the process. 

The animals that carried out the pollen transfer of anthers to the stigma flowers are known pollinators, and can be insects like bees, bettles, flies, butterflies, wasps and moth birds -hummingbirds and parakeets and small mammals - bats, rodents, and marsupials (Malagodi-Braga, 2005). Among pollinators, animals of Insecta class are the most important, and in the order Hymenoptera you can find the major number of them. Honeybees are the most important pollinators available in the nature. 

Hummingbirds receive nourishment from flower nectar. Nectar contains glucose (shown), fructose, and sucrose. 

Delphinidin (2) and its derivatives are found frequently in bee-pollinated plants and are typical of families such as the Boraginaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Polemoniaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. Sometimes the color of flowers of a species apparently varies in response to the type of pollinator present. As an example, one species of Penstemon, a blue, carpenter bee-pollinated species, hybridizes naturally with a red, hummingbird-pollinated species to produce a purple-flowered hybrid. Although normally this hybrid would fall outside the limits that the pollinators of the parental species would pollinate, this purple flowered hybrid is, fortuitously, pollinated by a wasp (Harbome, 1988c). 

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