About Vanilla pompona Schiede
Like all species in the Vanilla genus, Vanilla pompona Schiede is a vine. It grows using fleshy roots to support itself. Its leaves and stems are generally thicker than those of V. planifolia and V. phaeantha. V. pompona is one of the few Vanilla species where the agents responsible for pollination have been definitively identified. A study conducted in Peru found that males of the medium-sized orchid bee Eulaema cingulata remove and transfer pollen of V. pompona while searching for nectar that the species' flowers do not produce. Other bee species do visit V. pompona flowers: larger species cannot fit inside to reach the floral reproductive organs, while smaller species do not make physical contact with the stigma. Of all the observed floral visitors, only E. cingulata falls within the necessary size range to successfully accomplish pollen transfer.
