Abstract
Using a patch of the inflorescences of Prunella vulgaris we observed visitation sequences of fourteen individual bees (Bombus vagans) to determine if the plant's characteristics have influenced the bee's behavior. Through statistical analysis of our data we show the following: the greater the number of flowers on an inflorescence, the higher will be the rate of visitation by Bombus vagans; the greater the number of flowers on an inflorescence, the greater will be the number of probes per visit. We derive a prediction of optimal inflorescence size for P. vulgaris from these data. Assuming one probe sufficiently pollinates P. vulgaris, our results predict an optimal inflorescence of five. The most commonly observed inflorescence size was six, the mean was 18.0 (s.d. = 12.4). However, we found that P. vulgaris is severely pollen limited; measurement of B. vagans tongues proved that P. vulgaris was not being pollinated by the bee because tongue length prevented the contact necessary with the stigmas to insure pollination. P. vulgaris may have an optimal inflorescence size for pollination by short-tongued bumble bees in a different part of its range. Consequently, our results provide a model for other P. vulgaris patches in southern states where Bombus tongue length is shorter and they are the main pollinator.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Inflorescences with more flowers had a higher Bombus vagans visitation rate.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgaris
Prunella vulgarise1 - Organ / stage
- inflorescencee0
- Interactor
- Bombus vagans
Bombus vaganse0pollinator - Outcome
- rate of visitation by Bombus vaganse0
- Direction
- highere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the greater the number of flowers on an inflorescence, the higher will be the rate of visitation by Bombus vagans”
e1“Prunella vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Inflorescences with more flowers received more probes per visit.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgarisPrunella vulgarise1
- Organ / stage
- inflorescencee0
- Interactor
- Bombus vagansBombus vaganse2pollinator
- Outcome
- number of probes per visite0
- Direction
- greatere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the greater the number of flowers on an inflorescence, the greater will be the number of probes per visit”
e1“Prunella vulgaris”
e2“bees (Bombus vagans)”
Claim · model-written summary
Assuming one probe is sufficient for pollination, the predicted optimum inflorescence size was five.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgarisPrunella vulgarist0
- Organ / stage
- inflorescencee0
- Outcome
- optimal inflorescencee0
- Value
- fivee0
- Qualifier
- Assuming one probe sufficiently pollinates P. vulgarise0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Assuming one probe sufficiently pollinates P. vulgaris, our results predict an optimal inflorescence of five”
t0“Prunella vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
The most commonly observed Prunella inflorescence size was six.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgarisPrunella vulgarist0
- Organ / stage
- inflorescencee0
- Outcome
- most commonly observed inflorescence sizee0
- Value
- sixe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The most commonly observed inflorescence size was six”
t0“Prunella vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean Prunella inflorescence size was 18.0, with standard deviation 12.4.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgarisPrunella vulgarist0
- Organ / stage
- inflorescencee1
- Outcome
- meane0
- Value
- 18.0e0
- Qualifier
- s.d. = 12.4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the mean was 18.0 (s.d. = 12.4)”
e1“inflorescence size was six”
t0“Prunella vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Prunella vulgaris was severely pollen limited.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgarisPrunella vulgarist0
- Outcome
- severely pollen limitede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P. vulgaris is severely pollen limited”
t0“Prunella vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Bombus vagans did not pollinate Prunella vulgaris because its tongue could not contact stigmas.
- Taxon
- Prunella vulgarisPrunella vulgarist0
- Interactor
- Bombus vagansBombus vaganse1pollinator
- Outcome
- P. vulgaris was not being pollinated by the beee0
- Qualifier
- tongue length prevented the contact necessary with the stigmas to insure pollinatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“B. vagans tongues proved that P. vulgaris was not being pollinated by the bee because tongue length prevented the contact necessary with the stigmas to insure pollination”
e1“bees (Bombus vagans)”
t0“Prunella vulgaris”