London – The study “Floral scent in a sexually deceptive Ophrys orchid: from headspace collections to solvent extractions”, conducted by a group of researchers from the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biological Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF) and the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food and Forestry (SAAF) of the University of Palermo, has been published on the cover of the international journal Plant Signaling and Behavior. The UniPa research team focused on the rare Sicilian orchid “Ophrys panormitana”, which attracts its pollinators with deceptive sexual references. The study – according the website of the University of Palermo – provides a significant contribution to the management and conservation of Ophrys panormitana and more generally to the knowledge of the volatile compounds involved in the communication between orchids and pollinators. (9Colonne)
