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Is there a diel pattern to nectar secretion in the Red Bloodwood Corymbia gummifera?

Abstract

Nectar secretion was measured at 6-h intervals over a 24-h period in flowers of the Red Bloodwood, Corymbia gummifera (family Myrtaceae). Secretion varied among time periods and among trees. There was no clear diurnal or nocturnal pattern. Flowers produced 0.5–3 µl of dilute nectar (9% concentration) per hour throughout the diel cycle. Standing crops of nectar averaged 1–12.6 µl per flower and also varied temporally and spatially. Flowers were visited by a wide array of nectarivores: insects, birds, gliding possums and bats. Although it is likely that these visitors vary considerably in their effectiveness as pollinators, it would appear that Corymbia gummifera has a generalised pollination system

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