Functional Significance of Flower Orientation

Dear Colleagues,

Flower movements have attracted attention from famous naturalists such as Christian K. Sprengel (1750–1816) and Charles R. Darwin (1809–1882). Strong progress has been achieved since then, particularly in our understanding of proximate causes of movements (that is, changes triggered by external stimuli, such as temperature or light). Ultimate explanations (that is, why these changes occur and how they enhance an individual’s fitness) are much less known, however. Protection from herbivory, avoidance of wetting by rain, and pollinator attraction are a few examples of the progress in this rapidly growing field. Other areas of research, such as the importance of flower movements in the course of global climatic and environmental changes, are even less understood.

This Special Issue aims to summarize the recent progress in plant movements with special regard to flowers. We are predominantly interested in works on the ultimate causes of flower orientation based on laboratory and/or field data, but works on proximate causes are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Pavol Prokop
Guest Editor

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• flower orientation
• plant movement
• flower closure
• flower–pollinator interaction