Pollination in small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

摘要

We examined a plant - pollinator system involving small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) and the honey bee (Apis cerana), to relate certain floral traits that might have contributed towards the evolution of the system. We found that, cardamom might have originally evolved with a different species of pollinator (Amegilla sp.). We also present here data on the possible selection pressure by the present pollinator on the plant for reduction in corolla tube length. Observations on individual foraging behaviour of honey bees have provided a new method for estimating the number of foragers required for effective pollination in cardamom and to determine isolation distance for seed production in cardamom.