Abstract
Available information on the phylogeny and pollination systems in Protea suggests that bird-pollination is ancestral and occurs in the majority of species, and that there have been several shifts to rodent pollination and a single shift to pollination by cetoniine beetles in this large African genus. Here we report that Protea punctata plants in a population in the Swartberg mountains are pollinated primarily by long-proboscid flies and butterflies. The threadlike pollen presenter on an unusually flexible style facilitates insect pollination in this species. The length of the style matches that of the proboscides of its two most common visitors, the nemestrinid fly Prosoeca longipennis and the nymphalid butterfly Aeropetes tulbaghia. Spectral reflectance of the involucral bracts is similar to that of flowers of other plants visited by long-proboscid flies. P. punctata occupies a recently diverged position in a clade (the “white proteas”) in which all the other species appear to be bird-pollinated, and may represent a shift to insect pollination in the genus.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.