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Pollination ecology ofMoringa oleifera (Moringaceae)

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Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

At Visakhapatnam (17°42′N-82°18′E),Moringa oleifera Lam. flowers twice a year, once during February–May and again during September–November. Both geitonogamous and xenogamous pollinations produce fruit, but the latter mode is superior. The flowers are zygomorphic and gullet type. They open during 0300–1900 h, and are visited only by diurnally active insects during 0600–1500 h. Bees are the dominant foragers, of whichXylocopa andAmegilla carry pollen on the head and/or thorax to effect nototribic pollination.Xylocopa was more frequent and proved to be the major pollinator.

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Jyothi, P.V., Atluri, J.B. & Reddi, C.S. Pollination ecology ofMoringa oleifera (Moringaceae). Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 100, 33–42 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053466

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