Advertisements 2: Olfactory Signals

This chapter examines how flowers use olfactory signals to attract pollinators. Floral scents mostly result from the production of small amounts of simple volatile organic compounds. The molecular size of these components largely determines their volatility, and hence the distance they will travel from the plant over a given time span. Plant volatiles emitted as scents are typically lipophilic compounds, all of which are able to cross biological membranes and evaporate into the atmosphere readily. The chapter frst describes different types of floral scents before discussing the techniques used in the collection and measurement scents. It then considers variation in floral scents, along with the discrimination and detection ranges of floral odors. It also explains the importance of odor learning to visitors’ ability to discriminate and to maintaining reproductive isolation for the plant. Finally, it provides an overview of interactions of scents with other floral signals used for advertisement.