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Avian Pollination and Nectar Use in Combretum fruticosum (Loefl.)

1990; Wiley; Volume: 22; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2388537

1744-7429

Ellen O. Gryj, Carlos Martı́nez del Rio, Irene Baker,

Botanical Research and Chemistry

In a tropical dry forest of southwestern Mexico, the flowers of the liana Combretum fruticosum (Loefl.) were visited by a diverse assemblage of birds (31 spp.), dominated by passerines but including hummingbirds. Nearctic migrants constituted a high percentage of the individuals (42%i) and species (40%) visiting the plant. The flowers produced abundant, hexose-dominated dilute nectar, and varied among plants in both the total amount of nectar produced and in the temporal pattern of secretion. The morphology of inflorescences and flowers, nectar chemistry and the species of birds identified as visitors of C. fruticosum indicate that this plant is pollinated by passerine birds rather than hummingbirds.