Do flowers with specialized morphologies produce more nectar and pollen?

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Flower morphology influences the architecture of plant-pollinator interaction networks. Flowers with deep corolla tubes and bilateral symmetry have a narrower pollinator range, hence are considered more specialized than shallow radial flowers. Past interspecific comparisons revealed positive correlations between flower depth and nectar production rates in a few plant communities, suggesting that specialized flowers may allocate more resources into food rewards for pollinators.

Methods

We compiled a global data set of flower morphology vs. nectar sugar production rates (N = 494 plant species) and per-flower pollen counts (N = 164 species). We applied phylogenetically controlled mixed models to examine the effects of symmetry and tube length on floral rewards.

Resul

SUBMITTER: Keasar T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12640470 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature