Question

Describe the characteristics you would expect to find in flowers that are pollinated by the wind, beetles, bees, and hummingbirds, respectively.

Short answer

Wind-pollinated flowers have small, inconspicuous flowers lacking bright colors, fragrances, and nectar. Beetle-pollinated flowers are large, sturdy, bowl-shaped, and light-colored with fruity or yeasty scents. Bee-pollinated flowers are brightly colored with landing platforms or tubular shapes, pleasant scents, and produce nectar and pollen. Hummingbird-pollinated flowers are brightly colored with tubular or trumpet-shaped structures, lack strong scents, and produce abundant nectar.

Step-by-step solution

1. Wind-Pollinated Flowers

Wind-pollinated flowers tend to have small, inconspicuous flowers that lack bright colors, fragrances, and nectar. The reason is that these characteristics would be unnecessary for wind pollination, as the flowers do not need to attract pollinators. Additionally, the flowers are often grouped together in clusters or catkins to increase the chances of successful wind pollination. The anthers (male parts) are usually large and exposed to allow the wind to easily pick up and disperse their pollen, while the stigmas (female parts) have a feathery or branched structure to help capture the airborne pollen.

2. Beetle-Pollinated Flowers

Beetle-pollinated flowers generally have large, sturdy, and bowl-shaped structures that can accommodate the beetles' size and weight. The flowers are often white or light-colored, which helps to contrast against their dark environment or foliage, making them more visible to the beetles. Their scent can be fruity or yeasty, but sometimes also unpleasant or fermented to attract beetles. These flowers mostly produce abundant pollen that beetles feed on, while their nectar is usually hidden or unavailable.

3. Bee-Pollinated Flowers

Bee-pollinated flowers tend to be brightly colored, with blue, purple, yellow, and white being the most attractive colors for bees. These flowers often have landing platforms or tubular shapes that allow bees to access the flower easily. Their flowers also exhibit bilateral symmetry to guide bees to the nectar source, and some even have ultraviolet nectar guides, visible only to bees, to lead them to the flower's resource. Bee-pollinated flowers usually have a pleasant floral scent and produce both nectar and pollen.

4. Hummingbird-Pollinated Flowers

Hummingbird-pollinated flowers are often brightly colored, with red, orange, or bright pink being the most attractive colors for hummingbirds. These flowers are typically tubular or trumpet-shaped, which accommodates the long bills and tongues of the hummingbirds, allowing them to access the nectar efficiently. Hummingbird-pollinated flowers usually lack a strong scent since hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell. They produce a significant amount of nectar, which is the hummingbird's primary energy source, while the pollen sticks to their plumage as they feed, facilitating pollination when moving from flower to flower.