23.7: Pollination Syndromes

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Pollination is essential for producing offspring. Because of this, it serves as a strong driver of selection in angiosperms. Flowering plants have evolved to utilize different pollinators, such as wind or birds, to transport their pollen to other flowers of the same species. Some of these pollinators, such as wind, are not selective and rely on producing large quantities of pollen. Others, like hummingbirds, require large quantities of nectar and are attracted by particular colors. Use the table of pollination syndromes below to determine the likely pollinator for the flowers available in your lab.

Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Pollination Syndromes (adapted from US Forest Service)
	Color	Structure	Scent	Nectar or Pollen
Wind	Dull, perianth often absent or reduced	Large feathery stigmas, large anthers	None	No nectar, large amounts of pollen
Birds	Reds and pinks	Often tubular or cupped	None	Lots of hidden nectar, moderate pollen
Bees	Purples, blues, yellows, white, UV	Flat and shallow or tubular, with landing area	Sweet, fresh, mild	Pollen often sticky and scented, nectar usually present
Bats	White, dull green, or purple	Often bowl-shaped or pendant, anthers protruding	Musty or fruity, strong, emitted at night	Lots of hidden nectar
Moths	White, pale pink or purple	Often tubular or cupped, no landing pad	Strong and sweet, emitted at night	Lots of hidden nectar, limited pollen
Butterflies	Bright colors	Tubular, with wide landing pad	Faint, fresh	Lots of hidden nectar, limited pollen
Flies	Dark red, purple, brown	Shallow, funnel, or trap-like	Putrid, rotting	No nectar, moderate pollen

Who is the pollinator?

Record the most likely pollinator and the trait(s) in the flower that lead you to this conclusion:

Contributors and Attributions

Maria Morrow (College of the Redwoods)