Some flowers may have evolved long stems to make them easier for echolocating bats to find.
Like insects and hummingbirds, nectar-feeding bats are important pollinators for hundreds of plant species, including mangoes and agaves. Many of these plants have distinctive flowers that attract bats, such as blooming at night or giving off a musty smell. These flowers also tend to have long stalks that hang from the branches or grow from the trunk.
Nathan Muchalla of the University of Missouri-St. Louis…