Herbivory-induced defensive responses in plants can be direct (e.g. secondary chemicals to suppress herbivory) or indirect (e.g. extrafloral nectar attracting ants). These different types of anti-herbivore responses may...
Tag - Extrafloral nectar
William Salter
Are the sugary secretions of wasp galls analogues of extrafloral nectar?
They may look like extra-floral nectaries, but the galls in some South American trees are evidence of wasps calling in some help to look after their young.
botanyone
Foliar nectar can enhance plant-mite mutualisms
Mite domatia are small structures on the underside of plant leaves that house predacious or fungivorous mites, thereby mediating a plant-mite defence mutualism. It has been suggested that plants benefit more from...
One plus one does not always make two, when plants add up costs and benefits
Mutualism is a relatively simple concept in plant science. Plants will reward other organisms that perform services for them, so both the plant and partner are better off then they would be alone. But what happens when...
Alun Salt
Sweet nectar gives ferns a bitter taste
A collection of papers on Extrafloral Nectaries has recently moved into Free Access at Annals of Botany. One of the papers raises the question, can a plant that never flowers have extrafloral nectaries? Nectar secretion...
