Pollination syndromes of Erica species in the south-western Cape.

The 426 species of the genus Erica in the SW Cape are categorized according to their principal pollinating agents. Wind pollination is restricted to 21 species. Sixty-six Erica species are bird-pollinated and display 2 main flower shapes: tubular and tubular-curved; the former being divided into brush and tube flowers based on another morphology. The majority (80%) of Erica species are insect-pollinated. The most distinctive subcategory is that of rhinomyiophily (pollination by dipterans with long probosces) which accounts for 9% of all insect-pollinated Erica species. The richness of insect-pollinated Erica species parallels a richness of insect-pollinated Erica species parallels a richness of insect species, among which anthophilous dipterans and hymenopterans feature prominently. -from Authors