This study systematically assessed floral phenotypic traits, pollen viability, and ultrastructure in 120 male progeny of Actinidia chinensis ‘Jinfeng’. We documented floral features, measured pollen viability using Alexander staining and...
Populations of the same plant species living in different locations but flowering at different times may vary in pollinator availability and floral traits. However, the spatial and temporal links between floral traits and pollination are rarely inclu...
Bee pollen is a natural nutrient substance collected by bees from plants. Its metabolites have been extensively studied, yet the characteristic metabolites of bee pollen from different floral sources have not been clearly identified. In this study, w...
Flower closure is a widespread yet understudied trait that may serve multiple functions in the success of plant reproduction. In this study, we investigated the role of flower closure in protecting pollen from rain-induced loss in lesser celandine (F...
Oil-tea belongs to the Camellia genus, an important oil crop in China. However, oil-tea is taxonomically challenging due to its morphological variation, polyploidy, and interspecific hybridization. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate th...
Floral micromorphology and pollen morphology of two Leonurus (Lamiaceae) species were examined and compared using scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the diagnostic value of these features to facilitate future studies on floral biology and taxon...
Most apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) are self-incompatible and fruit yield depends on cross-pollination between genetically compatible cultivars with synchronous flowering. Flowering intensity can vary strongly among years due to the biennial be...
Pollinator nutritional ecology provides insights into plant–pollinator interactions, coevolution, and the restoration of declining pollinator populations. Bees obtain their protein and lipid nutrient intake from pollen, which is essential for l...
Animal-pollinated plants show a broad variation in floral morphology traits and gametophyte production within populations. Thus, floral traits related to plant reproduction and sexuality are usually exposed to pollinator-mediated selection. Such sele...
The Yucatan Peninsula, located in southern Mexico, is a central honey-producing region with extraordinary biodiversity of melliferous plants. Approximately 900 plant species have been described as being a source of nectar and pollen for bees and othe...
Our study attempted to elucidate the significance of floral and pollen traits of the highly nutritious tropical trees Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina for their reproductive success under arid conditions. We found that the pollen grains of both...
Nectar robbing typically reduces nectar availability to pollinators, damages flower structure, and/or induces secondary robbing. Consequently, it may reduce pollen deposition and seed set, increase pollination efficiency and outcrossing, and/or not a...
Monkey beetles (Hopliini, Scarabaeoidea) are a species-rich group of flower-visiting insects that are specialized to feed on floral tissue, pollen and/or nectar. We studied ten South African species, examining morphological features associated with t...
(1) Background: Plants attract pollinators using several visual signals, mainly involving the display, size, shape, and color of flowers. Each signal is relevant for pollinators foraging for floral rewards, pollen, and nectar. Changes in floral signa...
Chemical traits (primary and secondary metabolites) are important features of plants. An increasing number of studies have focused on the ecological significance of secondary metabolites in plant parts, especially in pollen. Ericaceae species exhibit...
The deficiency of pollen grains for ovule fertilization can be the main factor limiting plant reproduction and fitness. Because of the ongoing global changes, such as biodiversity loss and landscape fragmentation, a better knowledge of the prevalence...
Excessive pollen harvesting by bees can compromise the reproductive success of plants. Plants have therefore evolved different morphological structures and floral cues to narrow the spectrum of pollen feeding visitors. Among “filtering” m...
Drought and higher temperatures caused by climate change are common stress conditions affecting plant growth and development. The reproductive phase is particularly sensitive to stress, but plants also need to allocate their limited resources to prod...
Characterizing the botanical composition of pollen is essential to understanding the floral resources used by bees. While microscopy is the traditional method, it is time-consuming and limited in taxonomic resolution. Molecular tools such as DNA barc...
There is a global concern over insect declines, including both species loss and population declines. In particular, declines of species, such as bees that anchor trophic interactions and shoulder many of the essential ecosystem services, have been th...
Pollinators play a crucial role in global biodiversity, providing essential ecosystem services such as crop pollination. However, their abundance and diversity have been gradually decreasing in recent years. Despite increasing interest in sustainable...
Most bamboos die after flowering, and the molecular mechanisms responsible for flowering is poorly understood. The MIKCc-type MADS-box family gene is involved in the flowering process. To explore the mechanism of the MIKCc-type MADS-box gene and phyt...
Bee pollen is a nutrient-rich food that meets the nutritional requirements of honey bees and supports human health. This study aimed to provide nutritive composition data for 11 popular bee pollen samples (Brassica napus (Bn), Bidens pilosa var. radi...
Climate warming is likely to change the ways in which plants interact with their insect mutualists, for example through changes in phytochemistry. In particular, this may have implications for the ways in which we manage noxious weeds, which may spre...
Pollen is recognized as an excellent dietary supplement for human nutrition, which is why it can be found in different forms on the market (granules, capsules, tablets, pellets, and powders). But, the digestibility of pollen’s nutrients is stro...
Hybrid rice seed production predominantly relies on the pollen ability of restorer lines and the stigma properties of the cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines. Improving the pollen ability and agronomic performance of restorer lines could be achieved...
Large cities are typically characterized by a mosaic of green spaces that hold a remarkable variety of native and “exotic” plants. Urban beekeeping has gained increasing popularity. In order to characterize the “urban” in the...
The bioavailability of pollen bioactive compounds for humans is limited. In this study, our aim was to enhance the health-related benefits of pollen by fermentation with a Kombucha/SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) consortium. We perfo...
(1) Background: Cardiocrinum cordatum (Thunb.) Makino (Liliaceae) is a forest perennial herb distributed in East Asia. Although flower visitors for this plant species have been well reported, their contribution to pollination remains unknown. (2) Met...
Efficiency in vitro regeneration is a crucial prerequisite for the application of New Nenomics Techniques (NGTs) in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) for improving resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. This is especially true given that their manage...
This study investigates the seasonal and floral phenology, breeding strategies, and floral morphology of Azorina vidalii, an Azorean endemic Campanulaceae with hermaphroditic, protandrous flowers, dichogamy and secondary pollen presentation. Seasonal...
Floral development depends on multifactor processes related to genetic, physiological, and ecological pathways. Plants respond to herbivores by activating mechanisms aimed at tolerating, compensating, or avoiding loss of biomass and nutrients, and th...
The composition and biological activity of bee pollen are strongly influenced by its botanical origin, which is determined by the regional flora and environmental conditions. In Algeria, despite the growing consumption and traditional use of bee prod...
Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng is a known medicinal plant producing agarwood. To date, studies on the floral biology of A. sinensis have been limited. In this study, the floral micro- and ultra-structures, pollen viability, stigma receptivity, and...
Wild bumblebees are key pollinators of crops and wild plants that rely on the continuous availability of floral resources. A better understanding of the spatio-temporal availability and use of floral food resources may help to promote bumblebees and...
Barleria albostellata C.B. Clarke (grey barleria, Acanthaceae) is an indigenous shrub to South Africa and has been relatively understudied. This shrub is a valuable medicinal plant with a wide spectrum of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activitie...
Mass-flowering crops, such as oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus), provide pulses of nectar and pollen, helping to support pollinators and their pollination services in agricultural landscapes. Despite their value to declining pollinators, varietal in...
The sensory profiles of thyme honey from the Greek islands with different thymus pollen grain contents (A: >60%, B: 40–60%, and C: 18–40%) were studied. The results of the physico-chemical analyses fulfilled the criteria set by international quali...
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an important crop worldwide. Pollination of this crop is carried out by insects, with honey bees (Apis spp.) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.) as the most used in greenhouse production. Nevertheless, due to the extreme c...
One of the main aspects that define wine quality is its aromatic profile. Nutritional deficiencies in musts can lead to olfactory defects and a decline in quality. Commercial activators and nutrients are usually added to the must in these cases. The...
Landscape diversification with flowering plants can benefit pollinators and natural enemies, although insect pests can also use floral resources for nutrition and chemoprotection. Corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Diabrotica spp.) are major...
Buzz pollination is a specialized pollination syndrome that requires vibrational energy to extract concealed pollen grains from poricidal anthers. Although a large body of work has examined the ecology of buzz pollination, whether acoustic properties...
Within the theoretical framework of the correlation pleiades, floral phenotypic integration has been proposed as a consequence of selection mediated by pollinators acting on floral characters. Here, we analyzed that assumption by studying the floral...
Bees collect pollen from flowers for their offspring, and by doing so contribute critical pollination services for our crops and ecosystems. Unlike many managed bee species, wild bees are thought to obtain much of their microbiome from the environmen...
This study investigated both bacterial and fungal communities in corbicular pollen and hive-stored bee bread of two commercial honey bees, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana, in China. Although both honey bees favor different main floral sources, the dyn...
Bee pollen is a natural cocktail of floral nectar, flower pollen, enzymes, and salivary secretions produced by honeybees. Bee pollen is one of the bee products most enriched in proteins, polysaccharides, polyphenols, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. I...
Ex situ plant collections established from seeds of natural populations are key tools for understanding mating systems of intricate taxonomic complexes, as in the Limonium Mill. genus (sea lavenders, Plumbaginaceae). Plants show a polymorphic sexual...
Identification of a plant’s pollen components can be used to establish its geographical provenance, while also providing insights into the diet and foraging preferences of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). The diversity and amount of pollen rep...
Although pollination is one of the most crucial biological processes that ensures plant reproduction, its mechanisms are poorly understood. Especially in insect-mediated pollination, a pollen undergoes several attachment and detachment cycles when be...
Bees need food of appropriate nutritional quality to maintain their metabolic functions. They largely obtain all required nutrients from floral resources, i.e., pollen and nectar. However, the diversity, composition and nutritional quality of floral...
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