Diadasia bee on Sphaeralcea flower
By Cane & Love
Globemallows (Sphaeralcea species) are widely adapted in rangeland restoration across basins of the western United States, yet little was known about how breeding biology and pollination affect seed production in the genus. We studied three common species to determine their reliance on outcrossing, document the prevalence of different bees that visit them across sagebrush‑steppe habitats, and evaluate the pollination performance of the specialist bee, Diadasia diminuta.
All three globemallows produced substantially more capsules and seeds when flowers received pollen from other plants rather than self‑pollen. Field surveys showed that a diverse assemblage of solitary, ground‑nesting bees visit globemallow flowers, with D. diminuta consistently the most abundant species. Single visits by female D. diminuta deposited enough pollen to achieve full seed set. The bees readily established in newly planted restoration plots, even where wild globemallow populations were distant. Although D. diminuta specializes on Sphaeralcea, foraging females frequently moved between species in mixed plantings, behavior consistent with the natural hybridization common in this genus.
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