Midterm Flashcards
What is the male and female part of the flower called?
Pistil = female
Anther= male
What are perfect flowers?
Have male + female parts
What are imperfect flowers?
Have either male or female parts (some angiosperms)
What does monoecious mean?
both males and female imperfect flowers on the same plant
What does diecious mean?
One type of imperfect flower is on one plant
Are all angiosperms animal pollinated?
No! Some are wind pollinated. They are usually green, small, and often lack petals.
Are all angiosperms animal pollinated?
No! Some are wind pollinated. They are usually green, small, and often lack petals.
What kind of relationship do pollinators and most angiosperms have?
Mutualistic! Pollinator gets a food source (nectar + pollen) while flower gets pollinated
How are flowers specialized for the pollination of a niche pollinator?
Floral morphology, scent, and petal color look to attract ONE specific pollinator.
What are some examples of flower niches for specific pollinators?
Bee Flowers - short wide corollas
Butterfly flowers- medium-length narrow corollas
Hummingbird flowers- long, narrow corollas
What are some biochemical factors affecting pollination?
Flower scent, flower color, and nutrional value
When is maximum scent production usually occur?
When pollen is ripe
What are diurnal scent variations?
Scent produced for day or dusk pollinators
What are some pleasant flower scents?
Terpenes (volatile aromatic substances)
What are diurnal scent variations?
The scent produced for day or dusk pollinators
What are some pleasant scents?
Terpenes + volatile aromatic substances
What are some unpleasant flower scents?
Ammonia, monoamines, decaying protein, fecal odors, and rancid odors
What are some examples of unpleasant flowers?
Trillium (resembles decaying meat), Eastern skunk cabbage (mimics rotting flesh), pawpaw (meat colored petals), and titan arum (largest unbranded inflorescence)
What is a pheromone?
Chemical substance released and received by members of the same species to achieve different behaviours
What are some applications of a pheromone?
Feeding, defence, finding a mate, laying trails, aggregation, ovipostion
Can pheromones be mimicked?
Yes
What is an example of pheromone mimicry?
The orchid mimics a female bee in order to get a male bee to pollinate it. Poor bee :(
What colors attract bees?
Blue + yellow
What are nectar guides?
Guides pollinators to nectar and sexual portion of the flower