Bird pollinated plant mixes it up when it comes to sex

Across the western Cape of South Africa can be found small plants in the Iris family called Babiana. Flitting between them are sunbirds, small colourful birds like the African version of hummingbirds, that drink the nectar of flowers and in doing so pollinate them. New research to be published early next year in a special edition on plant mating in the Annals of Botany by De Waal, Anderson and Barrett shows that while birds are important for plant reproduction, when it comes to sex Babiana don't put all their eggs in one basket.

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