Concept of pollination syndromes

Faegri and van der Pijl 1979 introduced the concept of ‘pollination syndromes’ which can be regarded as stereotypical mutual adaptations of flowering plants and pollinators.

Flowering plants often feature pollination syndromes, sets of traits such as flower color, morphology, scent and nectar production, which appear to fit the morphology and behavior of specific pollinator types.

Although the significance of this concept has been overestimated it it’s a useful way of looking at flowers, because it organizes bodies of facts into recognizable ’picture’.

An idea developed from the concept of pollination syndromes states that pollinators can be clustered into functional groups that behave in similar ways and exert similar selection pressures on the flowers they visit.
Concept of pollination syndromes