Within-plant patchiness in nectar standing crop in Anchusa strigosa

Patterns of variation in nectar standing crop were investigated in Anchusa strigosa. Analysis of the data indicates that nectar volumes of neighboring flowers were positively correlated, and that volume of nectar per flower varied significantly between different hours of the same day, between individual plants, and between pairs of neighboring flowers on the same plant. Most of the explained variation was accounted for by differences between pairs of neighboring flowers on the same plant, indicating that nectar was patchily distributed within individual plants. The implications of these results to pollinator foraging behavior are discussed.