out of which 235,000 are flowering plants (anthophytes). This extraordinary diversity suggests that, in theory, there should also be an incredible diversity of honey types.
However, not all flowering plants are melliferous (i.e. nectar and / or pollen producing, which are a source of food for bees). In addition to that, among the melliferous ones, most plants do not grow in compact or even dense areas, thus making it impossible to obtain a monofloral honey.
Even so, however, we are still left with several hundred or perhaps thousands of types of monofloral honey; plus, tens or hundreds of other types of multifloral honey with very specific characteristics. These figures are so vague because there is no encyclopaedia (printed or online), nor database so far that should have attempted to be exhaustive in its inventory of the types of honey on Earth.
What is certain, however, is that floral honey is a product of astonishing diversity that never ceases to surprise us.
There are about 320,000 plant species on our planet, out of which 235,000 are flowering plants (anthophytes). This extraordinary diversity suggests that, in theory, there should also be an incredible diversity of honey types.
However, not all flowering plants are melliferous (i.e. nectar and / or pollen producing, which are a source of food for bees). In addition to that, among the melliferous ones, most plants do not grow in compact or even dense areas, thus making it impossible to obtain a monofloral honey.
Even so, however, we are still left with several hundred or perhaps thousands of types of monofloral honey; plus, tens or hundreds of other types of multifloral honey with very specific characteristics. These figures are so vague because there is no encyclopaedia (printed or online), nor database so far that should have attempted to be exhaustive in its inventory of the types of honey on Earth.
What is certain, however, is that floral honey is a product of astonishing diversity that never ceases to surprise us.
