Question

Explain the pollination mechanism in Salvia.

Answer 1

Pollination in Salvia (Lever mechanism): The flower of Salvia is adapted for Bee pollination. The flower is protandrous and the corolla is bilabiate with 2 stamens. A lever mechanism helps in pollination. Each anther has an upper fertile lobe and lowers sterile lobe which is separated by a long connective which helps the anthers to swing freely. When a bee visits a flower, it sits on the lower lip which acts as a platform. It enters the flower to suck the nectar by pushing its head into the corolla. During the entry of the bee into the flower, the body strikes against the sterile end of the connective. This makes the fertile part of the stamen descend and strike at the back of the bee. The pollen gets deposited on the back of the bee. When it visits another flower, the pollen gets rubbed against the stigma and completes the act of pollination in Salvia Some of the other interesting pollination mechanisms found in plants are a) Trap mechanism (Aristolochia); Pitfall mechanism (Arum); Clip or translator mechanism (Asclepiadaceae) and Piston mechanism (Papilionaceae).

Pollination in Salvia - Lever mechanism