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Image Title: Leaf nectary of Prockia crucis P. Browne ex. L.
Image Credit: Renata M. S. A. Meira, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)
AJB Editor: Judy Jernstedt, University of California - Davis
Intended End User: Teacher, Student
License Details: BSA - Terms for Image Use
Copyright held by: Renata M. S. A. Meira, BSA
Date Created: 12/1/2009
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About the Image

Leaf nectary of Prockia crucis P. Browne ex. L. (Salicaceae) with a drop of sucrose-rich, high-energy nectar, which may be attractive to visitors. Some species of aggressive ants get nectar from extrafloral nectaries, meanwhile protecting the plant's leaves. This interaction may be an important strategy to enhance the adaptive success of the species. These highly structured nectaries are similar to the salicoids teeth of the Populus and Salix species, lending strong support to the phylogenetic proximity of these clades.

For further detail: see Thadeo et al.—Anatomical and histochemical characterization of extrafloral nectaries of Prockia crucis (Salicaceae), American Journal of Botany, Volume 95, Issue 12, pages 1515–1522, http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/short/95/12/1515.

National Science Foundation  Development Supported by the National Science Foundation