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Orchid pseudopollen and food-hairs
Some orchid genera reward insect pollinators with pseudopollen instead of nectar. Pseudopollen is formed by the fragmentation of protein-rich, multicellular hairs. Davies et al. (pp. 477-484) describe pseudopollen and food-hair diversity in Polystachya and assess its value as a taxonomic character. Comparison of Polystachya and Maxillaria pseudopollen indicates that it may have arisen several times in response to similar pollinator pressures.
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