LEMUR POLLINATION IN THE MALAGASY RAIN-FOREST LIANA STRONGYLODON CRAVENIAE (LEGUMINOSAE)

The flower-feeding habits exhibited by lemurs in Madagascar have sugge sted that angiosperms might exist which are legitimately pollinated by these primitive primates. We here report that a liana from the easter n rainforest of Madagascar, Strongylodon craveniae (Leguminosae), is i ndeed adapted exclusively to pollination by lemurs. Unlike bird and in sect visitors, nectar-foraging lemurs trigger the pollen removal/recei pt mechanism of its large flowers. Further evidence suggests that seve ral unrelated Malagasy angiosperms have also evolved floral traits for lemur pollination. Lemur diets are highly variable, however, and the lemur-flower interactions do not reflect coevolution but mutualism asy mmetry with evolution principally driven on the plant side. Lemur poll inated plants may be the only angiosperms that successfully have evolv ed to exploit primates as pollinators.