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The ecology and evolution of visual pollen signals

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Abstract

By offering pollen and/or nectar as a food resource, angiosperms exploit flower visitors for pollen transport. Pollen thus acts not only as a means for transportation of male gametes, but also as a food reward for potential pollinators. Many findings provide compelling evidence that pollen acts, in addition, as a visual signal. The present contribution reviews several strategies that angiosperms have evolved to attract potential pollinators to the site of reward. We here consider evolutionary, ecological, sensory-physiological, and behavioural aspects of flower-pollinator interactions that are correlated with visual signals provided by pollen and pollen-producing organs, or imitations thereof.

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  1. Institut für Neurobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    K. Lunau

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  1. K. Lunau
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Lunau, K. The ecology and evolution of visual pollen signals. Pl Syst Evol 222, 89–111 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00984097

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00984097

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