Nectar secretion in an ornithophilous bromeliad

Several members of Bromeliaceae show adaptations for hummingbird pollination in the Neotropics; however, the relationships between floral structure, nectar production and pollination are poorly understood. Stahl et al. analyse the functional aspects of nectar secretion related to interaction with pollinators by evaluating floral biology, cellular and subcellular anatomy of the septal nectary and nectar composition of Ananas ananassoides, including an experimental approach to nectar dynamics. The data suggest that the total production of floral nectar is linked to the pollinators’ activity and that a rapid renewal of nectar is related to the nectary morphological features.