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August 26, 2008 : Centropogon nigricans
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Plant Family / Families: Campanulaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Centropogon nigricans Zahlbr.
Name Location: Ecuador
A huge thank you to Dr. Nathan Muchhala for sharing his photographs of a mammalian pollinator in action to round out the pollinator series.
The flower of the plant species, Centropogon nigricans, is exclusively pollinated by the tube-lipped nectar bat, Anoura fistulata. In other words, this is an example of obligate pollination. It's also thought to be a prime example of co-evolution (PDF). Dr. Muchhala described Anoura fistulata in a 2005 paper, so this bat species was unknown to science as recently as three or four years ago. Native to the outer slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, Anoura fistulata has the longest tongue relative to its body length of any mammal -- so long, in fact, that it is necessary for it to retract its tongue into its rib cage.
The story of the discovery was widely covered in the press in late 2006, so here are a few places to spend some time reading: Floral Long-Necks and Bat Sippers via the Human Flower Project, the transcript of a Nature podcast with Dr. Muchhala about Anoura fistulata, and A New World Record from Bat Conservation International.
Dr. Muchhala has a series of photographs of bat-pollinated flowers (and related bats) here: Bat Pollination in Cloud Forests.
As for the plant, Centropogon nigricans, there's not much to be found about it online, other than what is written about it in relation to this story, including: "Specialization on one species of pollinator is exceedingly rare in angiosperms, and Centropogon nigricans is the only example known in flowers pollinated by bats." The genus Centropogon has a distribution range that extends from Mexico south into much of South America (including Peru, Brazil, Chile and Argentina). Of the 230 described species, 65 are found in Ecuador.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at August 26, 2008 9:57 PM
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Comments
Posted by: phillip at August 26, 2008 11:32 PM
Incredible!
Posted by: Deb Christmas at August 27, 2008 5:22 AM
Wonderful and amazing. Thanks so much for this pollinator series - hope you'll consider a sequel sometime.
Posted by: Ginny (in Maine) at August 27, 2008 6:05 AM
AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing....We don't often hear of the wonderful capabilities of bats OR get to see it!
Posted by: CWick at August 27, 2008 6:11 AM
Wow, Gene Simmons look out.....
Posted by: Scott McGillivray at August 27, 2008 8:40 AM
Incredible!
Posted by: van at August 27, 2008 9:12 AM
Quite impressive, but also quite necessary for that job.
Posted by: Rob B at August 27, 2008 9:56 AM
wonders never cease now do they
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at August 27, 2008 5:01 PM
What a spectacular finale to the pollinator series; you have outdone yourself, Daniel! Many thanks, again, for both the picture and the education.
Posted by: bev at August 27, 2008 6:04 PM
two different genre promising their existence to each other...a love that crosses lines...till the end of time
Posted by: phillip at August 27, 2008 6:46 PM
Wow. You saved the best for last. This is simply amazing.
Posted by: Lynne at August 27, 2008 9:28 PM
-- removed irrelevant comment -- Daniel
Posted by: Mary Ann Donegan at August 29, 2008 10:57 AM
Mary Ann - the place to ask questions like that is the garden forums. See link right above the Post a comment box.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at September 2, 2008 10:36 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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...that my son...is one heck of a tongue...!
WOW....!