Research of Nectar Plant Resources in Pengshui County, Chongqing City

PurposeIn order to obtain a complete honeybee plant resources and basic research information of honeybee plants in Pengshui County, Chongqing. The results will enrich the research contents of honeybee plants resources and provide a guidance for the development of local bee keeping.

MethodThe honeybee plants were investigated, estimated and analyzed through field investigation, specimen collection and identification and interview. The nectarium and pollen was studied by scanning electron microscopy.

ResultThere were 147 species of honeybee plant belonging to 120 genera and 56 families in this area. Two species were the major honeybee plant, 144 species were the complementary honeybee plant, 1 specie was the poisonous plant. There were 65, 89, 56 and 5 species respectively in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Most of the species were mainly distributed in 600~1 000 m, with 104 species. We got the ultra-microstructure of nectarium (2 species) and pollen (11 species) scans.

ConclusionThere were abundant diversity of honeybee plant in Pengshui County. Except in winter, commercial honey could be produced in spring and autumn for the continued anthesis of different honeybee plant. Rhus chinensis was determined major honeybee plant. The nectarium structure of Rubus setchuenensis and the pollen structures of R. setchuenensis, Ligustrum sinense and Emmenopterys henryi are being reported for the first time, which provided a theoretical basis for the melissopalynologie study of Pengshui honey. Recommendations for the protection of the existing wild honeybee plant resources and expand the planting area of R. chinensis to obtain more high-quality commercial honey.