Brzosko Emilia, Mirski Paweł
Faculty of Biology, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245 Bialystok, Poland.
Plants (Basel). 2021 Oct 27;10(11):2315. doi: 10.3390/plants10112315.
Nectar is one of the most important flower traits, shaping plant-pollinator interactions and reproductive success. Despite Orchidaceae including numerous nectariferous species, nectar chemistry in this family has been infrequently studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compile data about nectar attributes in different orchid species. The scarcity of data restricted analyses to sugar concentration and composition. Our results suggest that the most important factor shaping nectar traits in orchids is the pollinator type, although we also found differentiation of nectar traits according to geographical regions. In spurred orchids, the length of the spur impacted nectar traits. We recommend the development of studies on nectar chemistry in orchids, including a wider range of species (both in taxonomic and geographical contexts), as well as extending the analyses to other nectar components (such as amino acids and secondary metabolites). The nectar biome would be also worth investigating, since it could affect the chemical composition of nectar. This will enrich the understanding of the mechanisms of plants-pollinators interactions.
花蜜是最重要的花部性状之一，它塑造了植物与传粉者之间的相互作用以及繁殖成功率。尽管兰科植物包含众多产蜜物种，但该科的花蜜化学却鲜有研究。因此，本研究的目的是汇编不同兰花物种花蜜属性的数据。数据的稀缺性使得分析仅限于糖浓度和组成。我们的结果表明，塑造兰花花蜜性状的最重要因素是传粉者类型，不过我们也发现花蜜性状会因地理区域而有所分化。在具距兰花中，距的长度会影响花蜜性状。我们建议开展关于兰花花蜜化学的研究，包括更广泛的物种范围（从分类学和地理角度来看），同时将分析扩展到其他花蜜成分（如氨基酸和次生代谢产物）。花蜜生物群落也值得研究，因为它可能会影响花蜜的化学成分。这将丰富对植物与传粉者相互作用机制的理解。
