Similarity Between Flowers and Fruits in Some Flowerpecker Pollinated Mistletoes

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Abstract
Certain mistletoes (Loranthaceae) in southern India have their flowers pollinated and seeds dispersed by 1 vector species, namely, the flowerpecker, which is a specialized frugivorous bird which feeds almost exclusively on mistletoe fruits. This is a situation in which both flowering and fruiting events would be likely to influence each other. The characteristics of the flowerpecker pollinated mistletoes differed from the others in the following respects: the fruiting times overlapped with the next flowering season, the flowers were rather inconspicuous and greenish in color, and the reward was offered once. This contrasted with the mistletoe species pollinated by other birds in which the flowering and fruiting times were not closely tied; the flowers had a strong color signal, were usually red or pink, and the nectar supply was continuous. The flowers in the flowerpecker-pollinated species had either developed characteristics which were similar to those of the fruit to attract the mostly frugivorous pollinator, or both flowers and fruits had developed common characteristics to attract a common vector. The former case could be described as facultative mimicry, in that the reward offered by the flower is possibly less than that offered by the fruit, thus leading it to mimic the fruit. In the latter instance the rewards offered by both might complement each other.

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