How Flowering Plants Attract Pollinators
By: NDTVNewsDesk
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Flowering plants attract pollinators through a combination of visual cues, scents, and rewards like nectar and pollen.
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Flowers use colour to attract specific pollinators. Bees are drawn to blue, yellow, and white, while birds and butterflies favour red and orange.
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Many flowers have ultraviolet patterns, veining, or bright markings on their petals that act as nectar guides.
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Large flowers are easy for birds to see, while the shape of other flowers, like tubular shapes, is adapted to the specific mouthparts of pollinators.
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Some flowers change colour after being pollinated to signal that they are no longer a good source of nectar.
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Some flowers emit scents that can range from sweet and pleasant, like a rose, to musky or even unpleasant, to attract pollinators.
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For example, some night-blooming flowers emit a strong, musty odour to attract bats.
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Some flowers, like those in the pea or sage families, have evolved a landing pad for insects to use as they enter to access the nectar.
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