Author Identifier
Robert A. Davis: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9062-5754
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume
208
Issue
2
First Page
125
Last Page
141
Publisher
Oxford Academic
School
School of Science
RAS ID
73840
Funders
Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment—Equity Trustees Charitable Foundation / Ecological Society of Australia / Australia Pacific Science Foundation (APSF 20049)
Abstract
Pollination by non-flying mammals (NFMs) is thought to be associated with cryptic, dull coloured, strongly scented flowers. In Western Australia, various Banksia species exhibit these traits, suggesting adaptation to primary pollination by NFMs, particularly the marsupial honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). Here, we compare floral visitation rates and assess contribution to fruit set of NFMs and other pollinators in four species of Banksia with contrasting floral traits. Camera trap-based surveys revealed that honeyeater birds visited all species equally and were more frequent visitors than NFMs to the brightly coloured, unscented flowers of B. sessilis and B. splendida. By contrast, NFMs were more frequent visitors of the cryptic, strongly scented flowers of B. shuttleworthiana and B. subulata. Selective pollinator exclusion experiments showed that NFMs, birds, and insects contributed to pollination of all four species but indicated primary pollination by NFMs in B. subulata. Surprisingly, the most frequent visitors of this species were mice, not marsupials, providing the first compelling evidence of primary pollination by rodents in Australia. Notably, honey possums contributed substantially to fruit set of B. sessilis and B. splendida, despite infrequent visitation to these species. These findings challenge the assumption that in Banksia floral crypsis and strong scents are adaptations to primary pollination by honey possums. Instead, they suggest a spectrum of bird-NFM pollination systems, with rodents as key pollinators of some species.
DOI
10.1093/botlinnean/boae061
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Wawrzyczek, S. K., Davis, R. A., Krauss, S. L., Hoebee, S. E., & Phillips, R. D. (2025). Does pollination by non-flying mammals contribute substantially to fruit set of Banksia (Proteaceae)? A test in four species with contrasting floral traits. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 208(2), 125-141. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae061