Asymmetry allows divergent use of pollinators, but often represents a one-way evolutionary street
Changes in floral symmetry allow a single pollinator to be used differently by multiple species.
Plant Science from Cell Biology to Ecosystems
Changes in floral symmetry allow a single pollinator to be used differently by multiple species.
Climate can indirectly affect floral morphology within a species by affecting what pollinators will visit those flowers across its range.
The flowers of Aquilegia eximia, the serpentine columbine, face downward, but the hummingbirds that pollinate it prefer horizontal flowers, so why do the flowers face the wrong way?
Plant species that share pollinators are potentially subject to non-adaptive interspecific pollen transfer, resulting in reduced reproductive success. Mechanisms that increase pollination efficiency between conspecific individuals are therefore highly beneficial.
El Ottra et al. conclude that the degree and diversity of fusions of floral organs in Galipeinae is unique within the order Sapindales.