Honeyeaters and the New Zealand Forest Flora: the Utilisation and Profitability of Small Flowers

New Zealand Journal of Ecology (1997) 21(2): 169-179 ©New Zealand Ecological Society visit it without being too easily satiated after one or a few visits (Heinrich & Raven, 1972). Considering that the optimal pollinator is the one that most effectively transfers pollen and produces the maximum seed set over a blooming season (Stebbins, 1970), selection should favour a level of nectar production that is dependent on the most effective pollinator. Flowers of different species often converge in the characteristics (syndrome) that they present to attract particular guilds of pollinators. For instance, flowers pollinated by insects, also called “entomophilous” are, in general, small, scented, and contain small amounts of concentrated Introduction