Corbet Sarah A, Willmer P G
Department of Applied Biology, Pembroke Street, CB2 3DX, Cambridge, UK.
Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
Oecologia. 1981 Jan;51(3):412-418. doi: 10.1007/BF00540915.
Studies in Costa Rica on two ornithophilous flowers, Justicia aurea (Acanthaceae) and Columnea glabra (Gesneriaceae) showed a constancy of nectar solute concentrations that was attributed to microclimatic protection by the tubular corolla and to copious nectar secretion, helped by waterproofing by a lipid film on the nectar surface in Justicia and by preferential compass orientation of the flowers of Columnea.Most of the corollas in the patch of Justicia had been pierced by nectar-robbers. A consequence of this damage, together with local microclimate effects, was flower-to-flower variation in the amount and accessibility of nectar and in the nature and concentration of its minor components, notably amino acids.McDade and Kinsman's (1980) finding that nectar secretion could be suppressed by repeated sampling or by nectar-robbing was confirmed.
在哥斯达黎加对两种鸟媒花——金黄爵床（爵床科）和光萼苣苔（苦苣苔科）进行的研究表明，花蜜溶质浓度具有稳定性，这归因于管状花冠对微气候的保护以及大量的花蜜分泌。在金黄爵床中，花蜜表面的脂质膜起到防水作用，而光萼苣苔的花朵具有优先的罗盘方向，这有助于花蜜分泌。金黄爵床花丛中的大多数花冠都被花蜜盗者刺穿。这种损害以及局部微气候效应导致了花朵之间花蜜的数量、可获取性以及其微量成分（尤其是氨基酸）的性质和浓度存在差异。麦克戴德和金斯曼（1980年）发现重复采样或花蜜盗采会抑制花蜜分泌这一结果得到了证实。
