Flowers, nectar and ‘mad honey’
by Chris, 13 July, 2018, 3 comments
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by special glands on a plant. These glands are normally associated with the flowers - but not always. Floral nectaries are often found at the base of the petals so that a visiting insect picks up or deposits pollen whilst collecting the nectar. The visitor thus 'helps’ the plant to reproduce / set seed. Common pollinators are bumblebees, bees, wasps, moths, butterflies and hummingbirds; less common pollinators are flies, ants, possums and bats.
However, nectaries can be found elsewhere on a plant - on leaves, leaf stalks (petioles), stems and fruits; these are extra-floral nectaries. Read more...
