There are some reports about honest floral signals, e.g. flower colour change in many flowering plants correleted to nectar production, size of Dalechampia bracts indicating the size of a resin gland, the volatile Diacetin indicating reward with oil. Are there ideas about other general honestly signalling floral cues like colour, size, symmetry? My question focuses on the particular aspect whether refilling resources like nectar can be honestly indicated?
How about colored nectar? It is a nectar reward but with visual attraction for birds. Here is the only case of colored nectar reported in Chinese Himalayas,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228103248_Colored_nectar_as_an_honest_signal_in_plant-animal_interactions
Article Colored nectar as an honest signal in plant-animal interactions
How about colored nectar? It is a nectar reward but with visual attraction for birds. Here is the only case of colored nectar reported in Chinese Himalayas,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228103248_Colored_nectar_as_an_honest_signal_in_plant-animal_interactions
Article Colored nectar as an honest signal in plant-animal interactions
Some Boraginaceae, as Borago officinalis, have a blue corolla, it changes in dark pink at the end of blooming. I do not know if this is related to nectar availability.
Pulmonaria officinalis Boraginaceae - antocianes in the vacuole change color from purple to blue to purple in accordance to the flower age = change of pH of the cell sap (pre and post mature flowers are pink/purple)
As nectar is poduced to reward the visitor, it seems logical that the flower will stop its production after successful pollination. It would be interesting to know if there's a significant correlation between floral cue changes and nectar production. Do flowers in general reduce or stop nectar production after pollination, independently from other morphological changes?
In this paper, the flower morphology is changed when pollination occurred, but may changed back when there is need for a second chance to receive pollen.
http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822%2809%2900979-8?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982209009798%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
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