Brazil - October 16, 2024

Research published in The American Naturalist this week reveals that plants are not just passive participants in pollination but are actively engaged in what could be termed 'pollen wars', where they fight to secure the most advantageous position on pollinators for their pollen.

The study focuses on the Hypenea macrantha, a vibrant red flower native to Brazil, which uses a catapult-like mechanism to launch its pollen. This isn't just about dispersal; it's about strategic placement. Slow-motion footage captured during the experiment shows the flower effectively using this explosive mechanism to remove rival pollen from the bill of a hummingbird, replacing it with its own.

This phenomenon, termed 'explosive pollen placement', while known, has now been empirically demonstrated to enhance a plant's reproductive success by physically removing competitors' pollen. The use of quantum dot-labeled pollen allowed researchers to count and confirm the displacement of rival pollen grains.

This discovery parallels the sperm competition observed in animals, where males remove or displace the sperm of competitors. In plants, however, this battle is fought indirectly through pollinators. The implications of this research extend beyond botany, touching on evolutionary biology and ecology, showcasing how competition for reproductive success is not confined to animals but is fiercely contested in the plant world as well.