Pollination mechanisms in palms (Review)

Understanding of palm–pollinator interactions has implications for tropical silviculture, as well as for our knowledge of the evolution and diversification of Arecaceae. Barfod et al. review 25 years of progress in palm pollination ecology and note that more than 60 studies have been published in this period that provide new insights on autecological, comparative and synecological aspects of palm pollination. However, with detailed studies of only 3 % of all palm species and a strong geographical bias towards the South American region and a taxonomic bias towards the tribe Cocoseae, caution should be exercised when making generalizations across the family.