Reproductive biology and pollinator-prey conflicts

Abstract

Most carnivorous plants are insect-pollinated, despite insects representing the primary prey of these plants. The potential for pollinators to be caught by traps represents a possible pollinator-prey conflict (PPC), which may have ecological and evolutionary consequences for the reproductive biology of carnivorous plants. We review the reproductive biology-pollination biology, seed dormancy, and germination-and PPC in carnivorous plants. The vast majority of carnivorous plants show little or no overlap in prey and pollinator spectra because of pollinator independence and the spatial and temporal separation of flowers and traps. All carnivorous plants appear to produce seeds with some form of dormancy, most commonly physiological (species with fully developed embryos) or morphophysiological (species with underdeveloped embryos) dormancy. A complete understanding of the pollination and germination requirements of carnivorous plants is essential for conservation purposes, and this area should be a focal point of future research.