Nectar guide

  • Title

    Nectar guide

  • Definition

    Markings on a flower that apparently serve to guide pollinators to the nectar source which is the reward they receive for visiting the flower. Some are visible to humans, but others are apparent to humans only through ultraviolet photography. Same as honey guide, a term not recommended because bees, not plants, produce honey.

  • Notes

    In the Lecythidaceae nectar guides are yelllow areas located at the entrance into the androecium of bee-pollinated species, e.g., Bertholletia excelsa and Lecythis retusa.

  • Related Terms

    Pollen guide

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