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POLLEN ENERGETICS AND POLLINATION MODES
Author(s) -
Colin Larry J.,
Jones C. Eugene
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1980.tb07643.x
Subject(s) - biology , pollination , pollen , botany , anemophily , insect , significant difference , asteraceae , pollinator , statistics , mathematics
The caloric content of pollen for several different species was determined by using a semimicro oxygen bomb calorimeter. The species studied were divided into subsets for statistical comparisons. The subsets considered were wind‐pollinated dicots, monocots and gymnosperms; insect‐pollinated dicots; and taxonomic subclasses of the wind‐pollinated angiosperms (Asteridae, Hamamelidae, Caryophyllidae and Commelinidae). The results indicated a statistically significant caloric content difference (0.05 or higher) between wind‐pollinated dicots vs. monocots and gymnosperms. There was no statistical difference between wind‐pollinated dicots and insect‐pollinated dicots. All subclasses were significantly different from one another. A statistically significant difference was found between two tribes in the Asteraceae which have shifted from insect to wind pollination, providing additional evidence for an independent evolution of the two. The need for future research in this area is discussed.