Spectrum of melliferous plants used byApis mellifera adansoniiin the Sudano‐Guinean western highlands of Cameroon

Abstract

The frequency and intense usage of melliferous plants by Apis mellifera adansonii is documented through the melissopalynology analysis of 30 honey samples collected between September 2002 and March 2003 in the Sudano‐Guinean western highlands of Cameroon (LN 5°21.45′–5°35.44′ and LE 10°04.72′–10°26.24′). A diverse spectrum of 88 genera from 46 families was identified from pollen in the honey samples. The most common were members of the Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae. The frequency of utilisation of melliferous plants is grouped into three categories: most frequently gathered melliferous plants (e.g. Eucalyptus, Coffea, Bidens and Terminalia); averagely gathered melliferous plants (e.g. Elaeis, Phoenix, Lannea and Julbernardia) and less frequently gathered melliferous plants with pollen present in less than 30% of honey samples (e.g. Salix, Casuarina and Pterocarpus). The most intensively utilized species by Apis mellifera adansonii represent 22.7% of the genera from 16 families. Pollen of only 8.0% of the taxa appeared as predominant in the honey samples and these belonged to six families. Eucalyptus was the only genus which had pollen that was predominant, important minor and minor in honey samples. Sixty percent of honey samples were unifloral for Eucalyptus and Helichrysum whilst the remaining 40.0% were multifloral.