The Pollination ofFreesia Refractain Glasshouses

Abstract

When foraging on large-flowered freesias, pollen-gathering honeybees were much more valuable pollinators than nectar gatherers, and their number could be increased by feeding their colonies with sugar syrup. When foraging on small-flowered freesias, bees collecting nectar also pollinated the flowers. Nectar gatherers and pollen gatherers spent similar amounts of time per flower visit. Bees did not discriminate between Freesia varieties of different colours, and so readily cross-pollinated them. Foragers tended to be more numerous near their colonies than elsewhere in the glasshouses.