Bitter-tasting nectar and floral odours optimize outcrossing in plants

Wien Ee

Animals "personally" bring their gametes together - seeking out sexual partners, mating, fertilizing, and reproducing. Plants, however, are sessile organisms and require the help of a third party, the pollinator, which can be a bird, mouse or insect that transport pollen to receptive stigmas, frequently over large distances. The colours and shapes of flowers as well as their volatile signals and nectar attract and reward the pollinators for their efforts. But not all flower visitors are pollinators, as many come only to steal nectar without transporting pollen or eat flower parts. Scientists have discovered that the chemistry of floral scents and nectar enforces good pollinator behaviour and allows plants to optimize their ability to exchange gametes with each other.

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Bitter-tasting nectar and floral odours optimize outcrossing in plants

Bitter-tasting nectar and floral odours optimize outcrossing in plants