Background Given the exceptional diversity of orchids (26 000+ species), improving
strategies for the conservation of orchids will benefit a vast number of taxa. Furthermore, with …

The great taxonomic diversity of the Orchidaceae is often attributed to adaptive radiation for
specific pollinators driven by selection for outcrossing. However, when one looks beyond the …

The orchid family is renowned for its enormous diversity of pollination mechanisms and
unusually high occurrence of non-rewarding flowers compared to other plant families. The …

The Orchidaceae are one of the most species-rich plant families and their floral diversity and
pollination biology have long intrigued evolutionary biologists. About one-third of the …

Mimicry is a classic example of adaptation through natural selection. The traditional focus of
mimicry research has been on defence in animals, but there is now also a highly-developed …

It has been debated whether pollination success in nonrewarding plants that flower in
association with nectar‐producing plants will be diminished by competition for pollinator …

A standing enigma in pollination ecology is the evolution of pollinator attraction without
offering reward in about one third of all orchid species. Here I review concepts of pollination …

Despite recent interest in the non‐sugar components of floral nectar, nearly nothing is
known about the ecological importance and phylogenetic distribution of scented nectar. If …

Evolutionary biologists have produced a solid body of evidence to explain patterns of
diversification, both within and among species. Recent textbooks are weighted towards …

Cohesive masses of pollen known as pollinia have evolved independently in two plant
families—Orchidaceae and Asclepiadaceae. Yet, the bilateral symmetry of orchids has …