Effect of Nectar Reabsorption on Plant Nectar Investment in <I>Cerasus cerasoides</I>

Flowering progress, floral morphology and nectar characteristics of Cerasus cerasoides were investigated from November 2011 to January 2012 in Kunming, Yunnan, China. We found that nectar removal had a positive effect on nectar production. The phenomenon of nectar reabsorption in C. cerasoides occurred at the end of the floral lifespan, on the tenth day after anthesis when allowing for nectar accumulation. A flower reabsorbs nectar when it has not been foraged, with the reabsorbed sugar content accounting for about 34% of the maximum sugar content. Therefore, nectar reabsorption can only reclaim a part of the energy allocated for nectar production.