by Leif L. Richardson and Rebecca E. Irwin
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| A bumble bee worker collects nectar and pollen from a turtlehead flower. |
The majority of flowering plants engage in pollination mutualisms
with animals in order to sexually reproduce, exchanging food rewards such as
nectar and pollen for the service of pollen transfer
between flowers. However, many animals that feed at flowers do not pollinate,
and are thus better thought of as antagonists rather than mutualists. Outcomes
of these interactions among plants and animals are strongly dependent on
abundance and diversity of flower visitors, as well as timing and quality of
reward presentation. Despite the importance of plants to structure and function
of ecosystems, the pollination ecology of many flowering plants is poorly
known.
In this study we investigated the mating system,
floral visitors and pollen limitation of turtlehead (Chelone glabra L.), an
eastern North America wetland herb. We found that the plant reproduces sexually
by both self-pollination and outcrossing, but requires pollinator visitation to
set seed. 
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