Project outline - pollen atlas of East African honey plants

The Honeybee flora of Ethiopia published in 1994 has become best selling publication. It describes an extensive collection of flowers from Ethiopia and neighbouring countries. These flowers have now been analysed further. The pollen grains from 400 of these honeybee flowers have been extracted and prepared for different microscopic analyses (light microscope, contrast microscope and scanning electron microscope). The shape and microstructure of each pollen grain will be documented photographically with a descriptive text.

We are planning to publish a supplementary volume to the Honeybee flora of Ethiopia in co-operation with the authors Reinhard Ficht! and Admasu Adi, and the publisher Margraf Verlag. The volume is intended for melissopalynologists (who analyse the pollen grains in honey to determine its botanical origin), palynologists (botanists who study changes in vegetation via pollen grains) and other interested readers.

It will be useful to show which plants are used by honeybees. For example the spectra of pollen grains in honey, or stored in honeybee colonies, reveals the importance of different plants for bee.

We (myself and the other authors of this supplementary volume) are now looking for sponsors to make this project possible. API-Promo/GTZ and Olympus have offered some support but further assistance is needed.

Dr Werner von der Ohe, Germany