[Pollinator] Fossil Mimosoideae

[Peter Bernhardt]

Here is a just published, fossil mystery all may enjoy.   Dr. George Poinar
has been identifying the plant and animal remains in amber from the
Dominican Republic for over 15 years.  For those unfamiliar with plant
classification, the Mimosoideae is a group within the bean and pea family
(Fabaceae).  It includes tall trees, shrubs, woody vines and a few
wildflowers that have reduced, or no, petals but lots and lots of stamens.
They make fruits that resemble typical pea pods.  The stamens are often
brightly colored and scented.  More common examples include the true
mimosa, cats claw sensitive briar (Schrankia), Australian wattles (Acacia)
and the calliandras.  French mimosa perfume, but the way, is really made
from flowers of African and Australian acacias.

Have a look at the bee in amber that died entangled in the staminal
filaments of the flower.  I don't think that the bee was the primary
pollinator of the extinct flowers as the stalked "gland" on the anther
suggests a scented food body (starch granules or oil flask) for beetles but
I may be way off on this.  Perhaps it was for oil-collecting bees like
Centris or Epicharis, Dr Roubik? You definitely don't see these stalked
glands on the flowers of most (any?) Australian Acacia species native to
southern Australia New South Wales and Victoria.  The gland does remind me
of the stalked oil glands one sees in South American Sisyrhynchium and some
tropical members of the snap dragon family.  For example, jump to the
following link.

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032013000400077

If you have any good ideas please discuss them with Dr Poinar (below).
I've seen some of his other fossil flowers in amber and they are
extraordinary.

Peter

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: george poinar <poinarg at science.oregonstate.edu>
Date: Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 8:37 PM
Subject: Fossil Mimosoideae
To: Peter Bernhardt <bernhap2 at slu.edu>


Hi Peter,
Knowing how you like Acacias, this may be of interest.
Take care,
George
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