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Hi Again, Apr 21, 2007
After yesterday's post I remembered by old (1895) systematic Botany
(Warming) and we seem to agree so my information is no more than 112
years out of date.
With respect to Hazelnuts (Corylus) , the male catkin is actually
pendulous when fully expanded and shedding pollen. Note that not all
wind pollinated plants have pendulous male catkins (e.g. grasses with
long exposed anthers balanced on long exserted filaments.). but a floppy
catkin is one way to enhance pollen scattering.
Our common early blooming trees and shrubs can be characterized as
follows (according to Warming):
Willows (Salix); nectar rich, pollen sticky & insect pollinated.
Poplar (Populus), Birch (Betula), Alder (Alnus), Hazelnut (Corylus) and
Oak (Quercus); nectar absent, pollen dry and light & wind pollinated.
Not spelled out in Warming but I expect that Hop-hornbeam, (Ostrya),
Beech ( Fagus), Sweet Fern (Comptonia) and the Bays (Myrica) are also
wind pollinated.
Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
P.L. Chalmers wrote:
> Hi David et al,
>
> This is an interesting point, and makes me wonder how
> Hazelnuts are pollinated? Their catkins are certainly stubby, but
> they do bloom very early, when few pollinators are about.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Patricia L. Chalmers
> Halifax
>
> .At 09:00 PM 20/04/2007, you wrote:
>
>> Hi Mary & All, Apr 20, 2007
>> Perhaps so, but I suspect the bee keeper in question was out to
>> lunch. I don't recall ever seeing bees or flies on alder catkins,
>> male or female, nor on any of the Corylaceae, or Oaks. It has been my
>> understanding that any plant with a long pendulous male catkin is
>> wind pollinated whereas the relatively stubby catkins of Willow (at
>> anthesis) are worked by many kinds of insects.
>>
>> Alternatively, am I out to lunch on this one ?
>>
>> Yt, DW, Kentville
>>
>> Mary Macaulay wrote:
>>
>>> On CBC today bee keepers said that a first sign of spring is when
>>> the bees start going out to fetch alder pollen!
>>> Mary
>>>
>>> ----Original Message Follows----
>>> From: Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com>
>>> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> To: Nature NS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>>> Subject: [NatureNS] Alder Pollen
>>> Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:18:42 -0700 (PDT)
>>>
>>> Hi All
>>> This afternoon we visited a flood plain near a river.
>>> Quite a few alders are growing as a first step in
>>> reforesting the areas that were pasture at one time.
>>> The catkins were full of pollen and it came out in
>>> clouds when we passed by. Our clothes were yellow as a
>>> result. It fertilizes the ground around about the
>>> trees. Quite a surplus I would say.
>>> Stone Flies were quite common in the river. Quite a
>>> few different species - from small to fairly large.
>>> They seem to like to alight on your hands - maybe the
>>> heat attracts them. Nicer to have around than black
>>> flies.
>>> There was a Pileated Woodpecker on the top of a dead
>>> branck. It took of, swooped down as we watched and
>>> nearly ran down a car driving along the road. Other
>>> birds included a dc Cormorant in a pond along with
>>> several hooded mergansers. Prehaps feeding on
>>> salamanders. along with some mallards on the river.
>>> Enjoy the spring
>>> Paul
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
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>>
>
>
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