Anther spurs in blueberry flowers
by Lisette van Kolfschoten & Mario Vallejo-Marín
Flowers come in an incredible variety of shapes, many of which have evolved through their close relationships with pollinators. In our study, we looked at a small flower part called an anther spur, which is a tiny extension attached to the pollen-bearing anther, found in some plants of the heath family, like the European blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). In this species, the pollinators can perform a special type of pollination called buzz pollination, where bees that can vibrate their bodies at the right frequency shake the pollen loose.
We wanted to find out what role the anther spur plays in this process. Does it influence how much pollen is released, or might it be involved in pollen release when bees access nectar? To test this, we compared pollen release in flowers with their spurs intact to those where the spurs were carefully removed. We performed two types of experiments, one where bumblebees were visiting the flowers, and one with a mechanical shaker, where we mimicked bee vibrations.
The results were interesting: flowers without a spur released more pollen, and this was most clear in the shaker experiment. This suggests that the spur potentially acts as a regulator, reducing the amount of pollen that is offered to each visitor. Such control can be beneficial, especially in environments where pollinators are scarce. By spreading pollen release across multiple visits, the plant increases its chances of successful reproduction.
We also noticed that bee behaviour mattered: bees that buzzed released more pollen than those that did not buzz. This shows a fascinating back-and-forth between plant structure and pollinator behaviour. In short, the anther spur could help the flower to fine-tune its relationship with pollinators, balancing the trade-off between giving away enough pollen for reproduction and keeping some in reserve for future visits.
Read the scientific publication in JPE
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