Abstract
The reproductive biology of a population of Iris douglasiana was studied at the University of California's Marine Biological Station at Bodega Bay. The main pollinators of this copious nectar-producer are long-tongued, nectar-collecting bees of three genera, Emphoropsis, Bombus and Anthophora. Although I. douglasiana is a vigorous vegetative reproducer, outcrossing in this species is increased through the interaction of nectar flow, flower phenology and pollinator behavior. The flowers are protandrous, with a peak nectar production on the 1 st day of stigma receptivity. Pooling of the nectar allows bees to remove most of the liquid reward from any one of the three floral units of each I. douglasiana flower. Bees have a strong tendency to visit only one unit of each flower before flying to another flower, thus increasing the possibility of outcrossing. Bees also show a consistently strong directionality in their flights, while showing no difference in the distance flown on calm or windy days. Pollinators do not appear to use the presence of nectar as a cue for visitation, but there is a correlation between stigma receptivity and avoidance of that flower by bees.
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