Temporal Dioecism and Pollination by Wasps and Bees in Allophylus serratus (Roxb.) Radlk. (Sapindaceae)

Allophylus serratus produces staminate and morphologically hermaphroditic but functionally pistillate flowers, thus becoming functionally monoecious. The staminate and pistillate phases are temporally separated at the inflorescence and plant level, and in a majority of the plants staminate phase precedes, thus becoming “temporally dioecious”. An individual is either staminate or pistillate at any given time during the flowering period, thus it is functionally unisexual. In some individuals there is overlapping of sexual phases. The plants are compatible to both geitonogamous and xenogamous pollen. Temporal dioecism enforces cross‐pollination. The flowers are small, white, with short corolla and an open cup shape resembling wasp flowers. They are visited for nectar and pollen by bees and for nectar by wasps. The staggering of sexual phases enforces interplant visits especially by wasps and honeybees. Other bees mostly effect geitonogamy. Staggering of sexual phases excludes deposition of self‐pollen that quickly buries cross‐pollen, and the massive display of staminate flowers serves to attract and habituate the pollinators.