A Unique Pollination Mechanism
A type of Japanese dogsbane, Vincetoxicum nakaianum, has a distinct scent that mimics the distress signal of injured ants, attracting scavenging flies that pollinate it.
Botanist Ko Mochizuki from the University of Tokyo discovered this unusual trait after observing clouds of grass flies around the plant's flowers.
The plant's odor is a near-perfect chemical match to the distress signals released by injured ants.
Experiments confirmed that this scent tricks flies into visiting and inadvertently pollinating the blooms.
Author's summary: Flies pollinate a Japanese flower due to its ant-like scent.