Pollination Biology
❖ Importance
o Any organism that accepts and utilizes a reward from a flower can be
considered a pollinator, as long as it transfers the pollen.
- Oil for hive construction & feeding (bees)
o Pollinators are diverse, thus radiating the angiosperms and insects,
diversifying the insect lineage.
- Different pollinators = morphologically different flowering plants.
- There needs to be a tight mechanical fit between the flower and the
pollinator so that there is accurate transfer of pollen.
• Examples
- Protea recondita has a pale-yellow flower hidden within leaves.
o Pollinated by grey mongoose during the day & spotted genet at night.
o Grey mongoose primary diet is small animals; however, the sweet
nectar is also a food source.
,- Protea witzenbergiana has reddish, dark brown
flowers.
o Flowers droop down for rodents to have
better access
- Protea punctata have pollen presenters (sharp flowers) coming out of
inflorescence.
o Length of presenter is the same as the
insects to transfer pollen to their bodies
(bees, flies, insects).
❖ Eastern Cape
- Contains 6 of 7 biomes, diverse.
o Fynbos, Forest, Grassland, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Savannah,
Thicket.
,➢ Fynbos Vegetation
• 3 main components : Proteaceae,
Ericaceae, Restionaceae
• Cape Florist Region, 69% endemic
species.
➢ Renosterveld Vegetation
• Found on clay soils, areas transformed by agriculture (< 5% of original
vegetation).
• Characterized by Grasses & Renosterbos (Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis)
• Large diversity in bulbs (geophytic plants)
❖ Pollinator Driven Speciation
- Paper (Patterns of plant speciation in the CFR) studied ecological shifts among
188 sister species from 8 Cape plant clades
o Results: 80% of taxa showed shifts in habitat and pollinators.
o This is seen especially in the Disa species.
, ➢ Sister Taxa of Disa
Disa harveiana
• occurs in mountains and is pollinated by the horse fly.
o Orchid holds its pollen in a pollinia (pollen packet), this is the male
gamete.
o Has no nectar so mimics traits of nectar flowers to attract flies.
o Horse fly has a long proboscis where the pollinia gets stuck at the base.
Disa draconis
• occurs on sand planes and is pollinated by the Tanglewing fly
• Does not produce nectar but has tubes to attract the fly
o Tanglewing fly has a longer proboscis.
The Cape is famous for specialised pollination systems, similar to the tropics.
- Study by Steven Johnson says that in SA 114 Irids & Orchids; each species has
a single pollinator.
- Northern hemisphere has 5 pollinator species per plant.
- 23 specialized pollination systems forming pollination guilds, often
geographically restricted.
❖ Importance
o Any organism that accepts and utilizes a reward from a flower can be
considered a pollinator, as long as it transfers the pollen.
- Oil for hive construction & feeding (bees)
o Pollinators are diverse, thus radiating the angiosperms and insects,
diversifying the insect lineage.
- Different pollinators = morphologically different flowering plants.
- There needs to be a tight mechanical fit between the flower and the
pollinator so that there is accurate transfer of pollen.
• Examples
- Protea recondita has a pale-yellow flower hidden within leaves.
o Pollinated by grey mongoose during the day & spotted genet at night.
o Grey mongoose primary diet is small animals; however, the sweet
nectar is also a food source.
,- Protea witzenbergiana has reddish, dark brown
flowers.
o Flowers droop down for rodents to have
better access
- Protea punctata have pollen presenters (sharp flowers) coming out of
inflorescence.
o Length of presenter is the same as the
insects to transfer pollen to their bodies
(bees, flies, insects).
❖ Eastern Cape
- Contains 6 of 7 biomes, diverse.
o Fynbos, Forest, Grassland, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Savannah,
Thicket.
,➢ Fynbos Vegetation
• 3 main components : Proteaceae,
Ericaceae, Restionaceae
• Cape Florist Region, 69% endemic
species.
➢ Renosterveld Vegetation
• Found on clay soils, areas transformed by agriculture (< 5% of original
vegetation).
• Characterized by Grasses & Renosterbos (Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis)
• Large diversity in bulbs (geophytic plants)
❖ Pollinator Driven Speciation
- Paper (Patterns of plant speciation in the CFR) studied ecological shifts among
188 sister species from 8 Cape plant clades
o Results: 80% of taxa showed shifts in habitat and pollinators.
o This is seen especially in the Disa species.
, ➢ Sister Taxa of Disa
Disa harveiana
• occurs in mountains and is pollinated by the horse fly.
o Orchid holds its pollen in a pollinia (pollen packet), this is the male
gamete.
o Has no nectar so mimics traits of nectar flowers to attract flies.
o Horse fly has a long proboscis where the pollinia gets stuck at the base.
Disa draconis
• occurs on sand planes and is pollinated by the Tanglewing fly
• Does not produce nectar but has tubes to attract the fly
o Tanglewing fly has a longer proboscis.
The Cape is famous for specialised pollination systems, similar to the tropics.
- Study by Steven Johnson says that in SA 114 Irids & Orchids; each species has
a single pollinator.
- Northern hemisphere has 5 pollinator species per plant.
- 23 specialized pollination systems forming pollination guilds, often
geographically restricted.
