Post by markmaster on Dec 10, 2013 20:35:49 GMT
Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) requires pollination to set seed. The large pea flowers are naturally pollinated by large solitary bees (such as bumblebees, squash bees, and mason bees). A Florida professor has a 2010 research effort to evaluate Carpenter bees as a pollinator for seed production but has not tabulated the findings for publication.
Most large pea flowers have a triggering mechanism to restrict pollinators to the co-evolved species. The flowers only opens to expose the stigma for pollination when the correct weight of the insect depresses the lower petals. In general the reward of these flowers is the pollen, and not nectar. The larger flowers (such as in Sunn Hemp) usually require a bee heavier than a honey bee to trigger the opening. Honey bees may visit the flowers (and obtain pollen) but are not effective pollinators.
So, I'm guessing that the one-pound bag of Sunn Hemp seeds I bought from Petals from the Past are going to be planted for a pollen source ...... darn it! I've already got plenty of goldenrod for that.
Most large pea flowers have a triggering mechanism to restrict pollinators to the co-evolved species. The flowers only opens to expose the stigma for pollination when the correct weight of the insect depresses the lower petals. In general the reward of these flowers is the pollen, and not nectar. The larger flowers (such as in Sunn Hemp) usually require a bee heavier than a honey bee to trigger the opening. Honey bees may visit the flowers (and obtain pollen) but are not effective pollinators.
So, I'm guessing that the one-pound bag of Sunn Hemp seeds I bought from Petals from the Past are going to be planted for a pollen source ...... darn it! I've already got plenty of goldenrod for that.