Chiropterophilous flowers are "bat-loving." Typical traits include large size, tough texture, a cupped shape, copious but dilute nectar production, and long brush-like clusters of stamens. They are held away from the foliage to provide a clear flight path. They typically bloom at night, have a pale color, and odd (to humans) scents, such as fruit-like or yeasty. Many are shaped like acoustic mirrors, to be quickly found via echolocation.
Some examples:
A gesneriad: Gesneria pedunculosa
A bean relative: Mucuna holtonii
A passion flower: Passiflora penduliflora
A giant saguaro: Carnegiea gigantea
A banana: Musa sp.

For more nitty-gritty details, see:
Fleming TH, Geiselman C, Kress WJ. 2009. The evolution of bat pollination: a phylogenetic perspective. Annals of Botany, 104 (6), 1017–1043. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcp197
Gonzalez-Terrazas TP, Martel C, Milet-Pinheiro P, Ayasse M, Kalko EK, Tschapka M. 2016. Finding flowers in the dark: nectar-feeding bats integrate olfaction and echolocation while foraging for nectar. R Soc Open Sci, 3(8), 160199. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160199

Posted on May 20, 2022 12:38 PM by m_whitson