Abstract
Flowering, nectar secretion, and pollen production in <em>Hyacinthus orientalis</em> ‘Sky Jacket’ (Asparagaceae) were studied between 2013 and 2015 in Lublin, SE Poland (51°16' N, 22°30' E). The flowering was weather-dependent. It started at the beginning of April or at the end of the month and lasted 14–24 days. The mass of nectar, sugar concentration in the nectar, nectar sugar mass, anther size, and pollen mass in flowers all depended on the flower position in the inflorescence and differed significantly between the years of study. The greatest mass of sugars and pollen was recorded in low-positioned flowers. On average, <em>H. orientalis</em> ‘Sky Jacket’ produced 1.63 mg of sugars and 3.51 mg of pollen per flower. The floral reward was attractive for <em>Apis mellifera</em> and <em>Bombus</em> spp., which indicate that the species should be propagated not only for its decorative value but also for supporting pollinators in early spring.
Highlights
Primary and secondary floral attractants have evolved to attract pollinators and increase plant reproductive success via the impact on the behavior of insect visitors [1,2,3]
A key role is assigned to flower or inflorescence morphological features, and floral rewards [4,5,6,7]
The plant–insect relationship is primarily shaped by nectar secretion patterns, the concentration of sugars, nectar sugars mass [9], and nectar amino acid content and composition [4]
Summary
Primary and secondary floral attractants have evolved to attract pollinators and increase plant reproductive success via the impact on the behavior of insect visitors [1,2,3]. Nectar is a sugar-rich aqueous solution with 10% to 75% of sugars [8] which represent the main energy source for insect visitors. The number of insect visits [10,11], the duration of a visit within a flower [12], and pollinator guild [10,13], differ considerably between plant species. The pattern of pollen presentation, its amount and quality, i.e., energy-rich compounds, all impact on the pollinator type and influence the success of pollination [16,17]
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