Ornithophily in the trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans).

ABSTRACT: The diversification of hummingbirds (Trochilidae) has shaped the pollination strategies and floral trait evolution in at least 68 families of flowering plants in the Western Hemisphere. The trumpet creeper (Bignoniaceae) is the quintessential example of ornithophily in eastern North America. The mutualistic relationship between this orange-flowered liana and the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) was illustrated as early as 1731. However, neither historical nor modern accounts accurately describe the feeding behavior of ruby-throats at trumpet creeper flowers or the floral adaptations for ornithophily. This paper explores their surprisingly immersive mode of foraging at trumpet creeper flowers and quantitatively assesses floral traits in two populations in the Ozark Mo

SUBMITTER: Graves GR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11387201 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature