Perth Branch Meeting Featuring Mark Brundrett on Native Plant Pollination

Western Australia and, in particular, the greater southwest of WA, is renowned for its floral diversity. What’s less well known is how all these different species of plants get pollinated. Many people will have seen the introduced honey bee on flowers, but well before its arrival in Australia there was a multitude of native pollinators. And there still is. Just as flower shape and form varies, so too does how the flower is pollinated. But, even today, much remains to be learnt about which pollinator – be it a native bee or a bird – visits which type of plant.

Just this year, however, new research was published which catalogues how all of the 9000 plant species in the region are pollinated. It revealed highly consistent differences in flower size, form and colour with the animal visitor. Some insect species have an affinity for just one type of flower. Other, larger flowers with colours that are unattractive to insects – like red or green – are pollinated by birds, and the flower size, not surprisingly, corresponds with bird bill lengths. The take-home message is that the complexity of pollination evolution in our biodiversity hotspot is globally unique. This complexity has major consequences for rare flora management and ecosystem restoration, especially due to increasing habitat degradation, fire and climate change.

The talk is based on a recent paper in the Australian Journal of Botany Dr Mark Brundrett wrote with Greg Keighery and Phil Ladd: https://doi.org/10.1071/BT23007

This year our meetings are being held at The Palms Community Centre. Doors open at 7.45 pm for an 8 pm start with a $3 donation giving you entry into the night’s door prize. All are welcome.