Europe PMC · 2026-01-21
Flowers that position their pollen-producing and pollen-receiving parts in complex 3D arrangements attract more successful cross-pollination — but only when the right specialist pollinators are present. Simpler 1D flower arrangements proved more reliably consistent across different pollinator communities.
3D-heterostylous Linum suffruticosum achieved higher legitimate pollen transfer than 1D-heterostylous L. tenue, but only in populations dominated by specialist Usia bee flies (family Bombyliidae).
L. tenue showed consistently moderate legitimate pollen deposition and high reciprocity across all six populations regardless of pollinator community composition, suggesting independence from pollinator assemblage.
Frequent spontaneous self-pollination in L. tenue may reduce legitimate cross-pollination on its stigmas, potentially threatening the long-term stability of its two-morph polymorphism.
