Puff bellows (Axinaea macrophylla)
Description
Axinaea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae. Roughly 42 distinct species have been identified so far. Axinaea are small trees and shrubs native to the Americas and usually found in the Andes. Plants of this genus are pollinated when birds, several species of fruit-eating tanagers, consume specialized appendages on the stamens. As they grasp the nutritious appendages, a cloud of pollen is released, blasting birds with pollen. This is referred to as puff pollination.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Myrtales
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Family: Melastomataceae
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Genus: Axinaea
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