Pollination by insects is highly important for a successful outcrossing in a large number of plants, such as the Solanaceae family. The wild tobacco, Nicotiana attenuata, has several floral traits with rhythmic patterns that are regulated by the circadian clock. This timing allows it to synchronize with certain pollinators and exclude other ones. At the Great Basin Desert in Utah, USA, its main pollinator is the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, which is only night active. The floral traits of N. attenuata are displayed at night to attract the hawkmoths. Modifying the clock by silencing some of its...
Pollination by insects is highly important for a successful outcrossing in a large number of plants, such as the Solanaceae family. The wild tobacco, ...