Red+bottlebrush

// Callistemon citrinus ////-// Red bottlebrush

Group members: N, A, Z, M


 * Pollination and fertilisation**

The main pollination vectors for the bottlebrush are birds, although geckos, bees and other species also visit the plant. For the seeds to be able to germinate, they need to be exposed to extreme temperatures (such as those in a bushfire), which breaks open the woody capsule protecting the seed.


 * Floral morphology and visitiations**

The stamen is a considerable distance from the carpel, hence when birds want to the nectar, they will inevitably pass through the stamens. As a result, the pollen from the stigma will get stuck onto their feathers, allowing them to become a vector or pollen. Also the stamens are a bright red colour, increasing the attraction of the plant to the birds.


 * Variability of floral morphology**

Measurements of the bottlebrush were obtained by dissecting three different flowers into the stamen, the style, the petal and the calyx tube. These were then measured by placing the part between the calipers and reading off the length (see image below). The results were recorded in a table, from which a mean could be calculated and graphed.

Table 1: The length of parts of the plant Figure 1: Average ( ± standard deviation) size of various parts of the flower from //Callistemon citrinus.//
 * || **Style length (mm) ** || **Stamen length (mm) ** || **Petal (mm) ** || **Calyx tube (mm) ** ||
 * **Flower 1 ** || 25 || 24  || 4  || 5  ||
 * **Flower 2 ** || 22 || 19  || 3  || 6  ||
 * **Flower 3 ** || 20 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">15  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">4  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">4  ||
 * || **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Style length ** || **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Stamen length ** || **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Petal ** || **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Calyx tube ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Mean ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">22.33333333 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">19.33333333  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">3.666666667  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">5  ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Standard Deviation ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">2.516611478 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">4.509249753  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">0.577350269  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">1  ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Standard Deviation ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">2.516611478 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">4.509249753  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">0.577350269  || <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: right;">1  ||

Given that we had a smaller number of replicates, our mean values may have been skewed by the use of a younger plant as a replicate.


 * Pollen morphology**


 * Nectar characterisation**

The nectar reached 12mm from one individual sample in the cappilary tube however when checked with others there was great variation some having similar quantities and other having almost nothing. The plant had 28% sugar.