POLLINATION OF THE CROWN IMPERIAL FRITILLARIA-IMPERIALIS BY GREAT TITS PARUS-MAJOR

Visitations of flowers of the Crown Imperial by Great Tits at two diff erent locations in Hessen, Germany, in 1990 and 1993 are described. Th e observations prove that flowers were visited because of the nectar; most likely pollination occurs during this visits. Similar reports fro m Europe are discussed. The significance of specific interactions incl uding ecological generalists such as the Great Tit is considered in th e context of the phylogenetic reconstruction of the development of co- adaptive syndroms.