Question

Using 3 examples, explain how the differences in floral organs relate to differences in pollinator types?

Answer 1

Majority of flowering plants use a range of animals as pollinators. Bees, butterflies, wasps, moths, birds, bats are the common pollinating agents.

Entomophily:- Pollination by insects is called entomophily which is characterised by large sized flowers, colorful, fragrant, presence of nectar, sticky pollen grain, etc. example - The upwardly directed protogynous flowers of Aristolochia have downwardly directed stiff hairs in the middle of the corolla tube. These forms the trap and is called pit fall mechanism. Trap door mechanism in Ficus sp. The receptacle forms a cup having a cavity which has a pore called ostiole near which male flowers are present. Female flowers are present at the bottom and gall flowers in between these types. The pollinating insect Blastophaga lays egg in the bottom and when the young insects crawl out of the inflorescence, their bodies laden with pollen grains thus affecting pollination. It is inflorescence modification of pollination.

Ornithophily:- Pollination by birds which is characterised by brightly coloured but odourless flowers, plenty of nectar, large quantities of pollens, etc. Example- The Babiana ringens produces astrong stalk within the inflorescense that serves as a perch for the malachite sunbird as it visit the flower..Heliconias have special sticky thread that help in the adhesion of pollen to smooth structures as bill of hummingbird.

Cheiropterophily:- Pollination by bats with large and bell shaped flowers. Example- The bat pollinated flowers of Anthocephallus, Adansonia often possess ball of stamens and provide plenty of nectar. Bat drinks this nectar and in return provides pollination to the plant.