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Botany Greenhouse
The Agents of Evolution - Pollination Syndromes - BatBat pollination (Chiropterophily)
Bat, Bee, Beetle, Bird, Butterfly, Fly, Moth, Snail&Slug, Water and Wind Flower-visiting bats are found in tropical areas of both the Old World and New World. Bats that derive all or most of their nourishment from flowers have slender, elongated muzzles along with long extensible tongues (sometimes with a brushlike tip) and front teeth that are often reduced in size or are missing althogether.
Bat flowers are similar in many respects to bird flowers, being large and strong with copious nectar and large pollen grains. Because bats feed at night, bat flowers are usually dull in color and open only at night. They are often tubular, among other ways to protect their nectar in. Bats are attracted to the flowers largely through their sense of smell, echo-location and spatial memory. Bat-pollinated flowers characteristically have very strong fermenting or fruit-like odors. In the New World, bat pollinated flowers often have sulphur-scented compounds, but this does not carry to the Old World.
It has been recently discovered that some bats derive a significant portion of their dietary protein from the pollen they consume. As yet another example of coevolution, the pollen of the flowers they visit have been found to contain significantly higher protein than is found in insect-pollinated flowers.
Current Accessions:
· Adansonia digitata - Baobab Tree, Monkey Bread Tree {Malvaceae}
· Agave americana - Century Plant, Maguey, American Aloe {Agavaceae}
· Agave sisalana - Sisal Hemp, Hemp Plant {Agavaceae}
· Agave victorae-reginae- Variegated Agave - {Agavaceae}
· Carnegiea gigantea - Saguaro, Giant Saguaro, Arizona-Giant {Cactaceae}
· Marcgravia rectiflora - Shingle Vine {Marcgraviaceae}
· Musa X paradisiaca - Dwarf Banana {Musaceae}
