(Floral biology of five species of Passiflora L. (Passifloraceae)in a semideciduous forest). A comparative study of floral biology of five Passiflora species was carried out in the region of Campinas, São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Passiflora alata, P. amethystina and P. miersii have purple to violet flowers and variegated filamentose corona. Their flowers open early in the morning and last about 12 hours, emit sweet odour, are allogamous and their main pollinators are large bees. Passiflora amethystina and P. miersii have similar floral morphology, differing from P. alata by a row of free filaments on the edge of the operculum. The operculum in P. alata is horizontally curved and denticulate at the margin. These differences in the operculum require a characterist behaviour from bees during their visits. Passiflora suberosa has green-yellowish flowers and a plicate operculum. Its flowers open at dawn and no odour is perceptible. The flowers are self-compatible and their main pollinators are wasps. Passiflora capsularis has white flowers and a plicate operculum. Its flowers are nocturnal, emit sweet odour, are self-compatible and possibly are pollinated by moths. The plicate operculum of these two latter species allows easy access to nectar by the visitors.
Passiflora; floral biology; bee; wasp and moth pollination
