New Perspectives on the Biology of Nectaries and Nectars

Nectar is one of the key developments in the evolution of plant-animal mutualisms. Floral nectar (FN) attracts pollinators, whereas extrafloral nectar (EFN) recruits insects that defend plants against herbivory. Even though nearly 90% of angiosperms produce nectar, many aspects of the biology of nectaries and nectars have been historically understudied, particularly at the molecular and ecosystem levels. However, a number of recent exciting reports have fundamentally changed our understanding of how nectaries evolved, how nectaries develop, how nectar is produced, and how the chemical composition of nectar affects both mutualists and antagonists, suggesting new ecological scenarios. These findings truly span the range of molecules to ecosystems. To consolidate new fundamental research on this topic we will solicit manuscripts from authors who study both FN and EFN from multiple perspectives, whose findings may have broad implications in the understanding of nectar/y evolution, development, and function.