XVI International Botanical Congess

Passiflora species are mainly pollinated by insects, particularly bees. However, the Greater Antilles is home to a group of eleven closely related species, with floral features characteristic of a hummingbird-pollinated system. These features include a red corolla and a tube at the base of the flower. These are present in the entire group, with the exception of Passiflora penduliflora. The group is centered in Jamaica, where five species are found, including the lime green Passiflora penduliflora. This study focused on pollination of Passiflora oblongata, a Jamaican endemic, by the Red-billed Streamertail Hummingbird, also an endemic species, and the pollination ecology of the night-blooming Passiflora penduliflora. The results are important in providing insight into the evolution of hummingbird-pollination within the group and the entire genus.