Unidirectional transitions in nectar gain and loss suggest food deception is a stable evolutionary strategy in Epidendrum (Orchidaceae): insights from anatomical and molecular evidence.

Ornamented nectaries may play an important role in the deceptive pollination strategy by secreting volatile organic compounds and providing tactile stimuli to pollinators. The recurrent and apparently irreversible pattern of nectar loss in Epidendrum suggests that food deception may constitute an alternative evolutionarily stable strategy, as observed in other orchid groups.