Morphology of floral papillae in Maxillaria orchids
The floral papillae of Maxillaria spp. vary greatly in form, and provide visual, olfactory and tactile cues that attract and guide potential pollinators along the labellum. Many papillae contain or secrete food substances and are involved in the rewarding of pollinators while others may protect the flower from desiccation and herbivory. Davies and Turner (pp. 75-86) reveal the occurrence of identical papillae in species exhibiting diverse vegetative morphology. This indicates that floral papillae, unlike hairs, are of limited use as taxonomic characters in this genus.
