Annals of Botany🌼🪰Check out the newly published paper ‘The enantiostylous floral polymorphism of Barberetta aurea (Haemodoraceae) facilitates wing pollination by syrphid flies’ in @AnnBot by Steven Johnson and co-authors (1/6)
Floral polymorphisms like enantiostyly (flowers having either left- or right-deflected styles) have long been thought to promote cross-pollination, but Barberetta aurea challenges this notion. (2/6)
This study explores B. aurea's unique reproductive system: dimorphic enantiostyly. But what does that mean? It's all about the orientation of floral organs – left or right deflected styles. (3/6)
But how does B. aurea achieve pollination? While most enantiostylous species rely on bees for pollination, B. aurea has evolved to attract syrphid flies. These flies play a crucial role, transferring sticky pollen via their wings as they hover around the flower. (4/6)
The flower's design, including the positioning of stamens and styles, facilitates both inter- and intra-morph pollen transfer. (5/6)
🌼The article suggests B. aurea showcases a remarkable adaptation, illustrating how floral polymorphisms can be finely tuned to exploit specific pollination niches. (6/6)