Floral Nectar Chemistry in Orchids: A Short Review and Meta-Analysis

Nectar is one of the most important flower traits, shaping plant–pollinator interactions and reproductive success. Despite Orchidaceae including numerous nectariferous species, nectar chemistry in this family has been infrequently studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compile data about ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plants (Basel) 2021-10, Vol.10 (11), p.2315
Main Authors: Brzosko, Emilia, Mirski, Paweł
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
Animal reproduction
Birds
Breeding success
Chemical composition
Chemistry
Flowers
Glucose
life form
Meta-analysis
Metabolites
Nectar
nectar concentration
nectar presentation
Orchidaceae
Plant nectar
Plant reproduction
plant–pollinator interactions
Pollinators
Reproduction
Secondary metabolites
Species
Sucrose
sugars
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Summary:Nectar is one of the most important flower traits, shaping plant–pollinator interactions and reproductive success. Despite Orchidaceae including numerous nectariferous species, nectar chemistry in this family has been infrequently studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compile data about nectar attributes in different orchid species. The scarcity of data restricted analyses to sugar concentration and composition. Our results suggest that the most important factor shaping nectar traits in orchids is the pollinator type, although we also found differentiation of nectar traits according to geographical regions. In spurred orchids, the length of the spur impacted nectar traits. We recommend the development of studies on nectar chemistry in orchids, including a wider range of species (both in taxonomic and geographical contexts), as well as extending the analyses to other nectar components (such as amino acids and secondary metabolites). The nectar biome would be also worth investigating, since it could affect the chemical composition of nectar. This will enrich the understanding of the mechanisms of plants–pollinators interactions.
ISSN:2223-7747
2223-7747
DOI:10.3390/plants10112315