The morphology of the capitula suggests they are not well adapted for pollination by other nocturnal vectors such as bats or moths.
The capitula were harvested at weekly intervals during the seed formation stage.
The bees were in constant motion while on the capitula and did not stop to probe the flowers.
In the chiropterophilous species the capitula are much larger and typically borne on long, pendent peduncles arranged in little-branched inflorescences.
The tree had up to about 50 capitula at anthesis on the nights when observations were made and it was reaching the end of its flowering period.
Musaeus' responsoria may have been refrains designed to answer the verses chosen as 'psalmorum capitula'.
The capitula open acropetally along each inflorescence axis so that usually there is no more than a single capitulum at anthesis per inflorescence at any time.
For assisted pollination, male inflorescences were collected and pollen was applied to the stigmas of female flowers by rubbing the male capitula directly against the female flowers.
