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Information about Nectar (plant)

For other uses of "Nectar", see Nectar (disambiguation).
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Nectar of camellia
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants. It is produced either by the flowers, in which it attracts pollinating animals or by or extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists providing anti-herbivore protection. It is produced in glands called nectaries.

Etymology

Nectar is derived from Latin nectar "drink of the gods," which in turn has its origins in the Greek word nektar, a compound of the prefix nek- "death" and suffix -tar "overcoming." The earliest recorded use of its current meaning, "sweet liquid in flowers", dates back to 1609.[1]

Floral nectaries

Floral nectaries are generally located at the base of the perianth, so that pollinators are made to brush the flower's reproductive structures, the anthers and pistil, while accessing the nectar.

Extrafloral nectaries

Nectar that is produced outside the flower is generally produced to attract predatory insects. These predatory insects will eat both the nectar and any plant-eating insects around, thus functioning as 'bodyguards'.[2] Extrafloral nectaries are generally located on the leaf petioles, mid-rib or leaf margin. They are thought to be modified trichomes and exude nectar that is sourced from phloem sap. Extrafloral nectaries can be found on species belonging to (amongst others) the genera: Salix, Prunus and Gossypium.
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Extrafloral nectaries on Prunus africana


Nectar is economically important as it is the sugar source for honey. It is also useful in agriculture and horticulture because the adult stages of many predatory insects, as well as hummingbirds and butterflies, feed on nectar.

References

1. ^
2. ^ [1]

See also

Nectar may refer to:
  • Nectar (plant), the sugar-rich liquid produced by the flowers of plants in order to attract pollinating animals.
  • The food or drink of the gods in Greek mythology; ambrosia.

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Sugars, brown
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 0 kcal   0 kJ

Carbohydrates     97.33 g
- Sugars  96.21 g
- Dietary fiber  0 g  
Fat 0 g
Protein 0 g
Water 1.77 g
Thiamin (Vit. B1)  0.
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Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete).
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Mutualism is a biological interaction between individuals of two different species, where both individuals derive a fitness benefit, for example increased survivorship. Similar interactions within a species are known as co-operation.
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Plant defense against herbivory or host-plant resistance (HPR) includes a range of adaptations evolved by plants that improve their survival and reproduction by reducing the impact of herbivores.
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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Greek}}} 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
 Cyprus
 European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
 European Union
 Italy
 Turkey
Regulated by:
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The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:
  • In flowering plants, the perianth is the outer, sterile whorls of a flower (see sepal, petal, and tepal).

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stamen (plural stamina, from Latin stamen meaning "thread of the warp") is the male organ of a flower. Each stamen generally has a stalk called the filament (from Latin filum, meaning "thread"), and, on top of the filament, an anther
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carpel is the outer, often visible part of the female reproductive organ of a flower; the basic unit of the gynoecium.

Carpel anatomy

The parts of the carpel are:
  • the stigma (from Ancient Greek stigma

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Petiole may refer to:
  • Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem; petiolate leaves are ones where the tendril connects to the leaf before its apex

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Trichomes, from the Greek meaning "growth of hair", are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants and protists. These are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae.
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In vascular plants, phloem is the living tissue that carries organic nutrients, particularly sucrose, a sugar, to all parts of the plant where needed. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Greek word
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Salix L.

Species

About 350, including:
Salix acutifolia - Violet Willow
Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow
Salix alba - White Willow
Salix alpina - Alpine Willow
Salix amygdaloides
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Prunus
L.

Species

Old World:
Prunus africana
Prunus apetala
Prunus armeniaca
Prunus avium
Prunus buergeriana
Prunus campanulata
Prunus canescens

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Gossypium
L.

Species

See text.

Gossypium is a genus of 39-40 species of shrubs in the family Malvaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World.
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Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honey bees (and some other species of bee), and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow
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Agriculture (from Agri Latin for ager ("a field"), and culture, from the Latin cultura "cultivation" in the strict sense of "tillage of the soil". A literal reading of the English word yields "tillage of the soil of a field".
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Horticulture (Latin: hortus (garden) + cultura (culture)) is the culture or growing of garden plants. Horticulture as classically defined is the subdivision of agriculture dealing in gardening, in contrast to agronomy, which deals with field crops and the
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Trochilidae
Vigors, 1825

Subfamilies

Phaethornithinae
Trochilinae

For a taxonomic list of genera, see:
  • List of hummingbirds in taxonomic order
For an alphabetic species list, see:
  • Alphabetic species list



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A nectar source is a flowering plant that produces nectar as part of its reproductive strategy. These plants create nectar, which attract pollinating insects and sometimes other animals such as birds.
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Nectar guides are patterns seen in some flowers that guide pollinators to the nectar and pollen. These patterns may be visible to humans; for instance, the Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria genistifolia) has yellow flowers with orange nectar guides.
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The nectar source in a given area depends on the type of vegetation present and the length of their bloom period. What type of vegetation will grow in an area depends on soil texture, soil pH, soil drainage, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, extreme minimum
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