THE POLLINATION ECOLOGY OF PEDICULARIS IN COLORADO

Abstract

The pollination ecology of seven Pedicularis species was studied in the montane‐alpine ecotone of the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. No species was found to self‐pollinate, and all species were primarily pollinated by bumblebees (Bombus Latr.). Foraging behavior of insects was recorded cinematographically and stereophotographically and correlated with the form and operation of the pollination mechanism of each species. Further correlations were made between phenology of flowering and development of pollinator colonies, altitudinal distributions of plant and pollinator species, pollinator bionomics and analyses of corbicular loads for 1014 Pedicularis pollinators, and interspecific pollination coactions of sympatric plant species. The concepts of caste adaptation of pollinators, multiple adaptation of pollinators, fidelity of foragers, competition for pollinators, sharing of pollinators, and coadaptive evolution in stress environments are evaluated in view of the data presented.