Tamarindus indica L: an important forage plant for Apis florea F in south central India

Abstract

In Andhra Pradesh, five honey samples were of unifloral origin and one was multifloral. Tamarindus indica was the predominant pollen type in three samples, while Ageratum conyzoides and Punica granatum predominated in the other two unifloral samples. The other significant pollen types recorded include Dodonaea viscosa, Tridax procumbens, Acacia nilotica and Casearia elliptica. Some 234 (78%) pollen loads were unifloral, 40 (13.3%) bifloral, and 26 (8.7%) multifloral; 199 (85%) of the unifloral loads were from T. indica, and pollen of T. indica was present in 260 (86.7%) of the total pollen loads examined. -from Authors