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Nectar bubbling
above the floral hood of tropical milkweed.
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Milkweeds are important nectar sources for
insect pollinators in the New World.
Milkweed nectar flows from stigmatic chambers, where pollen germinate,
to the brightly coloured floral hoods.
We examined the timing and quantity of nectar production in the tropical
milkweed, Asclepias currassavica, in a controlled greenhouse study. Our results show that tropical milkweed secrets
nectar during daylight hours in quantities that are attractive to diurnal
insects and promote pollen germination.
In addition, tropical milkweed may respond to pollinator activity by
increasing nectar production to flowers that receive insect visits. Nectar production varies between individual
plants and even between different inflorescences within plants. Altogether, tropical milkweed is an easy to
grow species that provides an abundant source of nectar to native insect
pollinators in natural populations and gardens.
Read the scientific publication in JPE.
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