Abstract
Flowering phenology, diurnal dynamics of blooming, insect visitation and pollen production in <em>Aconitum lycoctonum </em>L. and <em>Aconitum carmichaelii </em>Debeaux were investigated in 2012–2013 in the Lublin area, SE Poland. Flowering of <em>A. lycoctonum </em>occurred in June/July, whereas <em>A. carmichaelii </em>bloomed in September/October. Both <em>Aconitum </em>species differed in terms of the diurnal pattern of flowering. The flowers of <em>A. lycoctonum </em>started opening at 5.00, whereas those of <em>A. carmichaelii </em>started blooming at 8.00 (GMT+2h). The species differed in the number of anthers per flower, the size of anthers, and the mass of pollen produced in anthers. As a result, the flowers of <em>A. lycoctonum </em>produced less pollen (mean = 1.0 mg per 10 flowers) than the flowers of <em>A. carmichaelii </em>(mean = 8.2 mg per 10 flowers). The estimated pollen yield was 0.2 g per m<sup>2</sup> for <em>A. lycoctonum </em>and 1.6 g per m<sup>2</sup> for <em>A. carmichaelii</em>. The flowers of both <em>Aconitum </em>species were foraged exclusively by bumblebees with the predominance of the long-tongued <em>Bombus hortorum</em>. Nectar was a more attractive floral reward than pollen. The propagation of <em>Aconitum lycoctonum </em>and <em>A. carmichaelii</em> in ornamental gardens may support the conservation of bumblebees whose populations are steadily declining.
Highlights
The genus Aconitum L. includes about 300 species of perennial plants in the family Ranunculaceae
The genus Aconitum is described as bee-pollinated, and the distribution of Aconitum corresponds to the range of Bombus spp. [7, 1, 9]
The flowering of A. lycoctonum lasted from June to mid-July, whereas the flowering of A. carmichaelii began in late September and lasted until late October
Summary
The genus Aconitum L. includes about 300 species of perennial plants in the family Ranunculaceae. The species are native to Eurasia, occur from lowlands to subalpine zones and are found in forest habitats [1, 2]. Even though Aconitum spp. are known for their toxicity, due to the presence of aconitine-type alkaloids [3], they are used in several regions of Asia for their various therapeutic and pharmacologic effects [4]. In Europe these plants are widely cultivated, since they are well-suited for park or garden planting [2, 5, 6]. The flowers of Aconitum are zygomorphic with a highly specialized perianth. The genus Aconitum is described as bee-pollinated, and the distribution of Aconitum corresponds to the range of Bombus spp. The genus Aconitum is described as bee-pollinated, and the distribution of Aconitum corresponds to the range of Bombus spp. [7, 1, 9]
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