Fosterella chiquitana Ibisch, R.Vasquez & E.Gross
Taxonomic Change:
- Treated as a synonym of Fosterella penduliflora (C.H. Wright) L.B. Sm. —See Peters et al. 2009 p. 191
Literature references:
Comments:
- differed morphologically (e.g., shorter floral bracts, plants less lepidote), but preliminary molecular data suggest that this plant is close to the type of F. chiquitana.
Specimen examined: BOLIVIA. Dpto. Santa Cruz: between San Javier and Concepción, on granitic rocks, 22 Apr. 2000, C. Nowicki 2221 (LPB).
The small, white, and not conspicuously fragrant Fosterella flowers have made it difficult to determine the pollinators. Small flies have been observed on flowers (Ibisch et al. 1999), and fly pollination may still be possible with some species. More recently, however, a cultivated
specimen of the above-cited collection, at Santa Cruz de la Sierra (not far from the natural distribution), we observed the regular and frequent visitation by an unidentified species of a small bee (FIGURE 2). This may be the first documentation of bee-visitation in Fosterella.
Krömer (1997) concluded from Fosterella micrantha nectar analysis that because of the high relative hexose importance, small bees could be pollinators. —See Ibisch et al. 2002 p. 4
