Structure of floral nectaries, nectar production and sugar composition in nectar of 7 species of Vicia L. Fabaceae

Abstract

Nectaries of investigated species of Vicia were ranked into 3 morphological types: automorphic (V. sepium L.), transitoric (V. angustifolia L., V. sativa L., V. villosa Roth, V. cracca L.) and flat, epimorphic (V. hirsuta (L.) S. F. Gray and V. tetrasperma (L.) Schreb.). The best nectaring was connected with well defined nectary structure, and moreover quantity of nectar was correlated with nectary size but was not depended on number of secretory stomata. Sucrose dominated in the nectar of 6 species of vetches, the exception was balanced nectar of V. tetrasperma.

Keywords

• Vicia
• Fabaceae
• nectary
• nectar