Abstract
VIII. Alpine Specifies adapted to Cross-fertilisation by Butterflies, while the most nearly allied species which inhabit the plain or lower mountain region are adapted to Cross-fertilisation by Bees. IN the last article I attempted to show that in the -*- Alpine region Lepidoptera are far more frequent visitors of flowers than in the plain and lower mountain region, while the frequency of Apidse, not only absolutely but to a still greater extent relatively, is greatly diminished towards the snow-line. If this be so, whatever may be the cause of the fact, it is hardly to be supposed that the different proportion of visitors of such different structure as butterflies and bees should not have in any way influenced the adaptations of the flowers; and indeed, even during my short slay in the Alps, I succeeded in finding some species of flowers adapted to cross fertilisation by butterflies, their most nearly allied species which inhabit the plain or lower mountain region being adapted to ci oss-fertilisation by bees.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MÜLLER, H. Fertilisation of Flowers by Insects * . Nature 11, 110–112 (1874). https://doi.org/10.1038/011110a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/011110a0
This article is cited by
-
Emergence of a floral colour polymorphism by pollinator-mediated overdominance
Nature Communications (2019)