Flowering in the heat of summer the glossy pink stars of Orphium frutescens (sea roses) always attract attention, especially with the surrounding vegetation going brown and dormant. These perennial evergreen shrublets are native to the sandy flats and marshes of South Africa’s southwestern Cape coast and can currently be seen as pink mass displays on the banks of the Lomond Dam and the Hermanus lagoon.
Orphium’s adaptation for buzz pollination is truly fascinating! By offering pollen instead of nectar, it targets a specific group of pollinators, such as carpenter bees, which rely on pollen for their diet.
The intricate design of the flower’s anthers, with their twisted structures and apical pores, combined with the behavior of the bees, creates an efficient mechanism for pollen transfer.
The buzzing behavior of the bees, generated by the vibration of their folded wings, is key to releasing the pollen from the anthers. This interaction ensures that the pollen is deposited on the bee’s body, ready to be transferred to another flower. The positioning of the stigma away from the anthers, and its contact with the bee’s abdomen, further optimizes the process by minimizing damage to the stigma and reducing the chances of self-pollination.
This specialized pollination strategy not only enhances the reproductive success of Orphium frutescens, but also demonstrates the intricate interplay between plants and their pollinators. By targeting specific pollinators capable of buzzing, Orphium frutescens ensures that its pollen is efficiently transferred, ultimately contributing to the plant’s survival and propagation.
Credit: Jacques Pretorius (Masters in Environmental Management)
Jacques leads fynbos walks and e-bike tours on Lomond.
https://lomond.co.za/product/guided-fynbos-walks/
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