Appearances can be deceiving : pollination in two sympatric winter-flowering Aloe species

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dc.contributor.author Symes, Craig Thomas
dc.contributor.author Human, Hannelie
dc.contributor.author Nicolson, Sue W.
dc.date.accessioned 2009-10-27T06:01:38Z
dc.date.available 2009-10-27T06:01:38Z
dc.date.issued 2009
dc.description.abstract Aloe marlothii and A. greatheadii var. davyana are two sympatric winter-flowering succulents that occur in the summer rainfall regions of northern and north-eastern South Africa. Both have flower characteristics that are strongly suggestive of bird pollination, although their nectar differs in volume and concentration. We conducted pollinator exclusion experiments to determine the importance of birds and insects as pollinators of these Aloe species. For both species fruit set and the number of seeds per fruit were higher in control treatments (all pollinators) and lower in treatments that excluded all pollinators. The contribution of insect pollinators to fruit set in A. marlothii was low (3–4%), like that of no pollinators (0–2%) whilst that of all pollinators (14–19%) was significantly higher, suggesting that generalist avian pollinators, which visited flowers in large numbers, are the most important pollinators. In A. greatheadii var. davyana fruit set in the absence of pollinators was also very low (2–6%), while the contribution to fruit set by insects (36–51%) was similar to that of all pollinators (55–55%), confirming the importance of honeybees to pollination. Clear understanding of both flower and nectar characteristics, and observations of flower visitors, are therefore required before an accurate prediction of pollinator type can be made. en_US
dc.identifier.citation Symes, C.T., et al., Appearances can be deceiving: Pollination in two sympatric winter-flowering Aloe species, S. Afr. J. Bot. (2009), doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2009.08.008 en_US
dc.identifier.issn 0254-6299
dc.identifier.other 10.1016/j.sajb.2009.08.008
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/11580
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Elsevier en_US
dc.rights Elsevier en_US
dc.subject Co-flowering en
dc.subject Greatheadii en
dc.subject Marlothii en
dc.subject Ornithophily en
dc.subject.lcsh Nectarivores en
dc.subject.lcsh Sunbirds en
dc.subject.lcsh Aloe -- Pollination en
dc.subject.lcsh Pollinators en
dc.title Appearances can be deceiving : pollination in two sympatric winter-flowering Aloe species en_US
dc.type Postprint Article en_US


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