Because of the flower morphology and high number of insect visitors, plants of the family Apiaceae are regarded as generalists in terms of pollination systems. Recent studies however showed some degree of, at least, ecological specialization in some members of this taxonomical group and indicated interesting patterns of insect visitor behavior: discrimination between umbel sexual phases. To test whether this is true in case of other members of the family, over two years we studied the pollination biology of a common European umbellifer, Angelica sylvestris, a species considered by some authors as a supergeneralist. Although its flowers were visited by over 70 species of insects grouped in 10 morphospecies, only a relatively narrow assemblage of muscoid and syrphid flies, rather constant in both study years, contributed to pollination. These insects did not exhibit any preferences toward plant sexual phases. Based on our results and available literature, we discuss the concept of specialization/generalization of the A. sylvestris pollination system, especially in the context of the ''unspecialized'' floral morphology characteristic for members of the Carrot family.

S u m m a r yWe studied visitation rates to four common European umbellifers: Angelica sylvestris, Anthriscus sylvestris, Daucus carota, and Heracleum sphondylium. Our observations and literature data confi rm that a single plant species from the family Apiaceae may be visited by over a hundred insect taxa from taxonomically diverse groups. Here we suggest that in the light of pollination shortage faced by many endangered plant species, co-planting of relevant native Apiaceae plants, especially in Europe, should be taken into consideration in many restoration projects to provide, via umbelliferean magnet species, appropriate pollination service for focus plant taxa.