Do Plants Eavesdrop on Floral Scent Signals?

Plants emit a diverse array of volatile organic compounds that can function as cues to other plants. Plants can use volatiles emitted by neighbors to gain information about their environment, and respond by adjusting their phenotype. Less is known about whether the many different volatile signals that plants emit are all equally likely to function as cues to other plants. We review evidence for the function of floral volatile signals and conclude that plants are as likely to perceive and respond to floral volatiles as to other, better-studied volatiles. We propose that eavesdropping on floral volatile cues is particularly likely to be adaptive because plants can respond to these cues by adjusting traits that directly affect pollination and mating.

TrendsPlants emit volatile organic compounds that can function as cues to other plants.Plants may use floral volatiles from their neighbors to sense their mating environment.Plants could respond by adjusting floral traits that affect pollination and mating.Plant responses to floral volatiles cues are particularly likely to be adaptive.